This was utter perfection. The perfect end to the greatest series I've ever read. Sad to see the story come to a conclusion, but what a privilege to be invited into Emmy's world. Will forever recommend this book.

A truly lovely story that was the perfect final book in this delightful series set in World War 2. It is 1945 and Emmy Lake and the other characters are all facing various challenges and difficulties. Beautifully written and with the most wonderful characters who I will miss greatly, this is such a gorgeous read.

Dear Mrs Lake

It was lovely to be back with the gang at Woman’s Friend magazine and particularly with our narrator Emmy Lake as they enter the final and arguably most difficult stretch of WW2. After five years of war both the team and their readers are tired. As a way of boosting morale at the magazine Emmy suggests they all decamp to Bunty and Harold in the countryside. As Hitler’s V1 and V2 bombs start to hit, it will certainly be safer. Emmy strongly feels they all need a boost in order to keep supporting and inspiring the women who read their magazine. If they’re tired and the magazine suffers, how will their readership keep the fight going? Although they’ll still be working, the children, the animals and the beautiful countryside should have the desired effect. Plus, for Emmy, she’ll be closer to where her husband Charles is posted and she’ll be with her best friend Bunty. Emmy throws herself into rural life and is soon organising games nights, competitive knitting and planning the very important wedding of their officer administrator Hester and her fiance Clarence. She also has that important phone call from the ministry to travel abroad and report from the French field hospitals looking after the wounded. She even manages to mastermind a break into husband Charles’s barracks before they’re both deployed. Emmy has no idea how much she’s going to need those around her in the coming months as her hardest test is yet to come. On their return to London after the summer she receives a telegram to say that Charles is missing, presumed captured in enemy territory and she has the agonising wait for the confirmation letter. Then Hester receives a blow when Clarence calls to say he’s being deployed in three days, two days before their planned wedding. Hester is inconsolable and after catching Emmy in a moment of frustration, she disappears. However, Emmy isn’t one to dwell on her misfortunes for long and I wondered what schemes and plans she would hatch next.

This is a very fitting end to the Emmy Lake series because it showed, no matter how Pollyanna our attitude is, it is okay to sometimes find we’ve run out of steam. It’s hard to imagine what five years of war must feel like when we take into consideration women having to work, look after children, support their husbands and face the fear of losing someone important to them or even their home if situated in London or other major cities. The nearest thing we have to such upheaval is the COVID pandemic and that meant two years of shielding for me. However, I still had tv to stream, books to read and could send myself little treats from Amazon or Betty’s tearooms. I can’t imagine how I’d have felt if I was exhausted from working, missing my husband, had the possibility of a bomb coming through the ceiling and had to find the tenth thing to do with a cabbage. Although the Lakes and friends are relatively okay financially, many were not and the author brings in these experiences through the magazine where some readers are infuriated with the magazine’s rather chirpy, optimistic tone or want to vent about the desperate situations they’re in. I loved the storylines about unexpected pregnancies as I could really understand getting carried away in the moment when someone you love is being deployed to fight, perhaps never to return. I could also imagine myself being swept off my feet by an American GI or one of the Polish airman posted only a few miles away from my village all those years ago. I could absolutely understand why some readers lost their faith in the magazine and whether the authors truly understood the predicaments some readers were in. I could also understand if Emmy did run out of patience, because sometimes the only answer is ‘talk to the people who love you’ no matter how angry or disappointed they might seem at first. It always gets easier.

When news arrives that Charles’s secret mission was Arnhem and he’s been captured behind enemy lines, it takes a while for Emmy’s emotions to catch up with the news. She has all the information at her fingertips, having had to find out what to do for her readers. Practically she’s doing all she can, plus organising the Christmas Fair and making connections with other POW wives. She’s particularly proud of the piece she wrote for the ministry on the military hospitals so hopes for another mission when she, the editor and publisher are pulled in for a chat. The news isn’t good and it’s this that seems to bring her to a standstill. Returning the magazine she’s despondent and feels a deep sense of injustice, leading to a sudden and misdirected rant. Things go from bad to worse when the next morning, Hester has gone missing. Emmy knows she took her cancelled wedding plans hard, but surely that’s not the reason for her disappearance? Could it have been her own moment of anger and emotion that provoked this sudden reaction? Emmy realises how much of a lifeline they all are to each other and resolves to find her, whatever it may take.

A.J. Pearce has written a triumph of a series in this quartet of books and in her main character too. We’ve experienced the ups and downs of different editors and publishers, the staff’s other responsibilities for their families and war jobs such as the fire service or driving ambulances, as well as terrible losses on the battlefield and in the Blitz. Through what seems on the surface to be a light-hearted and perhaps frivolous lens, I’ve learned so much about what it was like to be a young woman during WW2. It’s given me an insight into my grandparent’s generation - my Aunty Connie who was an unmarried mother and a subsequent marriage to my Uncle John who suffered from PTSD after his ship was blown-up. My grandad went into the army just as war was ending and experienced the other side of the war - German cities destroyed by our bombardments and people living in the ruins of their homes. I don’t know if I’d have the strength and determination to contribute in the way people did, something brought into sharp focus when I had to discuss what the war in Ukraine could mean for those who’ve served in the forces but are still under reserve? Could I cope if he was called back in? Strength is one of those things we find reserves of when the situation demands it of us and I have no doubt I could keep the ‘home fires burning” but I certainly don’t have the grit that some of the Ukrainian women are showing, having lost their husband then joining up to fight themselves. I feel the author doesn’t let us forget the sacrifice and loss in people’s lives, but still manages to bring in humour and a defiantly upbeat make do and mend attitude. This is the closest I’ve seen Emmy come to breaking point and it’s hard to do when you’re the one whose role it is to buoy everybody else up. As she finds out though, those who she’s helped and supported are so happy to be able to return the favour and support her. This is a set of books I always recommend, to women of all ages, because it’s so easy to relate to one of the characters and absolutely root for them. The main impression I take away from them is that sense of female solidarity. The instinct we have to come together, share the load and make each other’s lives a little easier from taking on someone’s children all the way down to being there with a meal or a shoulder to cry on. Emmy uses her writing to do the same and triumphs in being exactly what the magazine promises - the Woman’s Friend.

This was the perfect final instalment in a series that I have loved from the very beginning. I will miss these characters so much,

The author manages to write with hope and joy, whilst never letting the reader forget the tragic circumstances the characters were living through.

Fourth and final in the Emmy Lake book series set during WWII
It’s been an utterly charming series and shall miss Agony Aunt Emmy Lake and her friend Bunty and The Women’s Friend Magazine, championing the efforts of women on the home front, determining to keep their spirits high through the entirety of the war, showing the necessity of friendship & community
Thanks @ajpearcewrites @picadorbooks & @netgalley for the touching series and would happily revisit Emmy, Bunty and all the other characters to find out what happens to them post-war

Emma Lake is back and the rest of the team at magazine Woman's Friend. This is such a great book for looking at how women coped and lived through the second world war. I have read the previous books but this is good to be read on its own. It's 1944 and the war drags on. London is being bombed constantly so the whole team decant to Hampshire and the home of Bunty's grandmother. Emma marries Charles who is posted closer to home. Emma is still in journalistic mode liaising with the MOD and trying to keep all women's hopes alive for the safety of the men in their lives. She gets the chance to fly to Belgium to get a first hand account of life on the front line. At the same time as the team are trying to answer women's questions on their problem page, they have problems of their own and we see how they manage to get through the latter end of the war. This bookk really does give an insight into how women coped with having to carry on without most of their men around and it is amusing in places but also quite sad. Such a lovely book.

I smiled, I laughed, I cried.

So happy to read this, but sad this will be the last with these wonderful characters, who I’ve come to love and care about.

To AJ Pearce, thank you for creating Emmy and her friends and letting us into their world

5 stars,

Huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an ARC to read and review.

Oh how I will miss this wonderful series! Dear Miss Lake is the fourth and final instalment and I have loved every book. I have listened to them all on audio and the narrator is just perfect. We have followed Emmy and her friends through the entirety of the war and I have been moved by every episode. This series captures the fear, camaraderie, resilience and determination so perfectly. There have been times when I have sat in the car in tears and others when I have laughed or felt so warm inside because of the gorgeous friendships described.

I can’t recommend the Dear Mrs Bird series enough, especially if you love historical fiction. I’m so glad to have stuck with the gang until finally the war was declared over and there was victory in Europe! I thoroughly recommend Dear Miss Lake - lovers of historical fiction will adore it. AJ Pearce's writing captures the tone perfectly.

I have loved the series and what a fitting ending. It’s a much more somber tale for Emmy and highlights the impact to families whose loved ones are POWs. I liked all the magazine team living in a big house together as the war drags on. If you haven’t read the series, I’m so jealous! You get to enjoy this delightful quartet of novel. Lucky you.

Another instalment of A I Pearce's characters. A cosy read with some challenges faced. I highly recommend this book to readers who have read the previous instalments. It's such a shame that this is the final boo! In the series as I have looked forward to the next publication. A thought provoking and interesting read.

This is the 4th and final book in this series and I will miss the folk at the magazine. It has been a wonderful journey with Emmy and her friends.

This one is set towards the end of WWII, the final push towards victory but also one still full of emotion, loss and suffering. As Emmy continues answering letters to the Yours Cheerfully page in the Woman's Friend magazine, she is also balancing life at home, of her colleagues and with the demands on her time. Luckily, her colleagues are more than colleagues, they are friends, they are a family that has been formed over the years of working together and through the turmoil and devastation of war.

Things have come a long way for Emmy since she first walked into the job, originally wanting to be a war correspondent, she now works for a magazine. It is important and she works long hours, but it is important. She still has that original yearning to be a war correspondent.

Having read this series from the beginning, I am aware of how the characters interact and have jelled with each story. This story shows the hardship of families who are left wondering what is going on, why they are not getting any news of missing loved ones and how they are desperate for the slightest bit of information. The magazine walks a fine line, it is not a political magazine and there are certain standards that have to be maintained as they do work with the war office to impart information.

The story follows the characters that are important to Emmy, while there is a sense of camaraderie, there is also the ever-present shadow of worry that lingers. The story is not all sorrow and loss, there are magical moments of pure joy, of moving forward and how friendships and support get people through.

It has been a wonderful story and I would recommend all four books as they are fabulous. It charts the years through WWII through the life and experiences of a young woman wanting to do her part, of the people she has met and the bonds of family and friendship. I would definitely recommend book and series.

What an absolutely delightful end to a thoroughly charming series. These characters have my whole heart, and I’m devastated that this is the last we’ll see of them, but oh how this was the perfect way to part. Thank you AJ Pearce for bringing us these wonderful stories and letting us meet these characters that mean so much to us all.

If you are a fan of Historical Fiction and you somehow haven’t picked up this series yet then please do. Start with book 1 - Dear Mrs Bird - you do have to read them in order… or if you’ve started the series then please do continue and trust that this ending is exactly what it needed to be. I went through every emotion reading these books, and every single one made me sob. I really can’t recommend them enough.

Huge thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review. I adored it just as much as I knew I would.

Thank you NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Set in 1944, this is the fourth instalment in a series of books by AJ Pierce, none of which I had read before. But it was easy to understand and I didn’t feel lost, story wise despite there being previous books. This was such a nice book, inspiring, sad, heartwarming all at once.
I really enjoyed Emmy, the main character as well as every single other character in the book, which is usually very rare. Made me curious about the rest of the series.

A masterpiece, as expected! I’ve absolutely loved the last book of the series… But what to say? Everything about it was wonderful: full of sensational characters, incredible details, and so many emotions! I’m so sad to say goodbye to Emmy and her friends, but thrilled I got to meet them.

I had read "Dear Mrs Bird" back in 2018 so when I was offered this one (thank you!), I hastily purchased Books 2 and 3 in the series and read them before reading this one (hence the slightly delayed review).

It's July 1944 so we hope matters will wind to an end, but things are getting tougher and tougher, families are divided and women on the Home Front are becoming more and more exhausted. Emmy is offered the project of her dreams, going to Belgium to interview nurses in the hospitals in the recently liberated country, but she gets into trouble with the Ministry again when the magazine tries to keep honest to in order to support its readers. There's a tricky balance to be kept between making people feel heard and encouraging that one last push. Meanwhile, the new V2 rockets have sent the magazine to the country for a bit, and some amusing and sweet communal living ensues for the staff.

But things take a serious turn with themes around prisoners of war overseas and women in difficult situations at home, and I had to race through it to check whether she was going to let something horrible happen to a beloved character. A heartfelt and nicely done Epilogue in the form of Emmy's Christmas letter in the magazine of 1945 brings things to a conclusion, rounding off this excellent series.

Blog review posted 05 August 2025 https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/08/05/book-reviews-a-j-pearce-the-emmy-lake-chronicles-books-2-3-and-4/

I have loved this entire series. Whilst I am sad that this is the last book I think it is right to end it at this point though I will miss Emmy, Bunty, Harold and Guy! The premise of the series is based on life in wartime Britain and Emmy’s evolving role in the magasine and then in political journalism has been fascinating and enjoyable to see.
There is kindness, understated heroism and love in every page. I would strongly recommend this book and this series to anyone who enjoys a well written, skilfully plotted read with well drawn and likeable characters. I am envious of those who have still to start this wonderful series. I would love to hear about Emmy again. Perhaps the author will give us an update in whatever new series she moves on to write next!

Emmy Lake is a well respected agony aunt and part owner of Woman's Friend.. Her friends, Bunty and Harold are getting married, and the whole of the staff are helping with the preparations and looking forward to sharing in their wedding day.. It is 1944 and she feels blessed to have her husband safely in England at a desk, until he is once again sent out on active service. Once again she is in the position of so many women she knows, writing letters to her husband, but not knowing where he is and whether he is safe...

This is the fourth - and final - novel in this series of novels about a woman's magazine during the Second World War. It is written in the style of the time and is in turns amusing, enlightening and heart breaking, with the author not shying away from the realities of life and death in wartime. I have read all three books and have found myself totally enthralled, lost in a world so different from the one I daily inhabit. The character are likeable and warm and entirely believable, all though with enough antagonists to give the story direction, drive and meaning. I was very sad to say goodbye to them all when I reached the last page, but it was right to end the series with the end of the war. Do read the series - you won't regret it.

I have read and utterly adored the previous three books in this series so I was really looking forward to this final addition and I'm really pleased to say that I loved it! It's always so comforting to be back in Emmy's world because even though the seriousness of the war is seen throughout this novel, the love and support of her friends just warm my heart. I loved seeing Emmy get to do some war reporting this time, and then was frustrated along with her at the way the war office treated her. It was lovely to see much beloved characters find happiness after sadness and loss of previous novels (I won't mention names so as not to give spoilers). This book was just so beautiful and I found it so soothing to read. I'm really going to miss these characters and this series - I may have to go back to the beginning and read them all again! I highly recommend this book to everyone!

This was such a lovely ending to what surprisingly became one of my favourite series. It's full of the "keep calm and carry on" and "we're all in this together" feeling you can tell was rampant in the country throughout WW2.

It was also great to follow Emmy along throughout the series, and see her growth and maturity, not just personally but also professionally. I loved watching her grow more into herself, and finally achieve her dream of being a war journalist.

It's a very fitting end of the series, quite a lot of loose ends all tied up well, and I loved particularly the epilogue taking place after the war was won.

However, at times I did feel like it was a slightly cleaned up or PG portrayal of how wartime was, particularly for POWs.

"Dear Miss Lake", This is the 4th book in series and having recently read number three immediately prior to ARC, I was wondering if I had mis remembered my feelings on the first 2, thankfully for me this 4th book was a return to form. Like all the books the prose is a little "jolly hockey sticks at times". However Pearce captures the atmosphere of the end of the war perfectly. Must have been a very strange time for people , knowing the end was in sight , the Axis forces almost certainly defeated but still having your loved ones fighting for victory. As usual there is a fine balance of humour and tenderness, when the story takes a turn. An enjoyable read and a fitting end to the series.

A solid 7 out of 10 for me , which always frustrates as 3 feels too mean and 4 over scoring but definitely a fun read