Emmeline (Emmy) Lake is the agony aunt at 'Woman's Friend' but at a time of war.
There is perhaps something quite twee about the descriptions of characters and situations in the book but I had read the previous Dear Miss Lake book so was used to the more than working class scenario into which the characters dwell.
We start with the magazine office removing to the countryside in the grand home of Bunty's grandmother's place for the summer. The proceedings are set against the backdrop of WWII and give us accounts of what is going on internationally. Even though there have been victims of bombings, POW internments and other war related scenarios a lot of the plot focuses on women during the war. Particularly the fears of young women, those on their own either widowed or left with a baby and sets the social context for this against the propaganda of the War Ministry, which although encouraging women to take up jobs wants really to focus on how the 'men are fighting the Nazis.' Some of this rang very true.
The weddings and Christmas Fayre amongst rationing and lack of material items was well described and although we did hear the voices of 'ordinary' people it does have the feel of a rather distant class from the frontline troops and families.
However it makes an entertaining read and the main character focuses the many worries of the women at war.

Oh, AJ Pearce has done it again! The conclusion to the Emmy Lake Chronicles was just as delightful as the previous three instalments and I loved it!

Emmy Lake's story continues over the summer of 1944, where she and the rest of the Woman's Friend offices decamp to Bunty's grandmother's country pile to escape the bombs. Emmy gets the opportunity to write pieces for the war effort and gets a taste of what it's like to be a Lady War Correspondent at last! I loved how she used the opportunity to highlight women's war effort, those who worked "behind the scenes" to keep the show on the road both at home and on the front line.

Her beloved husband Charles remains on active duty and they are separated once again - although I loved the scene where Emmy breaks into barracks for one night with her man before he is posted overseas!

As has become AJ Pearce's trademark, the storyline has plenty of highs and laugh along moments, made all the sweeter by the suddenly devastating emotional blows that get dropped without warning. This time around the subjects include prisoners of war and social attitudes of the time towards unmarried mothers.

I really hope that the Emmy Lake story can be continued at some point in the future. I'd love to know what happens to Emmy, Charles, Bunty, Harold and all the rest after the War. Perhaps Ms Pearce would be so kind as to give us Guy's backstory as a prequel?! I think he is a really intriguing character and has a few tales left to tell...

I'd recommend this series to anyone who wants a cosy but not twee book, full of well-researched historical detail but plenty of heartfelt moments with characters who feel like real people you know. A delight - thanks so much to AJ Pearce and to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of the book.

This is, frankly, my favourite among all four novels of the Emmy Lake Chronicles. Emmy and all her friends were, as usual, larger than life, especially as they went through the happinesses of relationships and new adventures. The struggles of the women and the men who only could wait, and the way that they all overcame them were tear jerking, to say the least. The Emmy Lake Chronicles tells the story of those at home throughout the war and especially during the last push; Juliet and all of Emmy’s other friends were incredibly admirable in their determination to action to never give up, and Ms Pearce portrayed this exquisitely in her book.

I was over the moon to be asked by Net Galley to review the last in the Series of the Emmy Lake books. I first came across the first book in a National Trust bookshop when on holiday and thought I will see what the first book was like - well I was hooked and read the 3 other books.

Sad to say goodbye to Emmy, Bunty and the other characters AJ Pearce has developed. The author has researched this period of time during World War 2 and those who remained on the home front.

The stories are a bit of a romp with fab friends and colleagues but there is the serious side of this time and the author tackles some of the war time issues especially in this last book - with the turmoil in Europe, prisoners of war and how the war is nearing an end.

Great series which I will now miss

So recommended this summer and published on 3rd July 2025.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I have read the previous three books in the series and loved each of them so was very much looking forward to reading the final book in the Emmy Lake Chronicles - it did not disappoint. Well written. The continuation of much loved characters, taking the story to the end of the Second World War. Emmy continues her work at Women’s Friend and production moves to Bunty’s granny’s house in Hampshire as the war worsens and they decide to escape London. Bunty marries Harold. Charles is captured and becomes a prisoner of war. I love the relationship between the characters - the friendships that have developed over the books. Lovely heartwarming book but there are sad and anxious parts too.

Review to be posted on Goodreads and Amazon

So the first thing to say is that my prediction that the fourth book would arrive in 2025 was right, and the second thing is that this series is now complete! We rejoin Emmy and the gang in 1944 and by the end of Dear Miss Lake we finally reach the end of the war. In book four, Emmy and the team at Woman's Friend are trying to find ways to keep morale up on the Home Front as the war drags on, but also starting to think about what might happen afterwards when it's all over. Emmy's journalistic career continues to flourish, and her husband Charles* is finally posted back in the UK. But there are still some challenges for the team to face before Victory in Europe finally arrives.

I've enjoyed reading this series so much, but every one of them has made me cry at some point - and this one is no exception. And without spoilers, it wasn't (only) happy tears about the war finally ending for everyone. There is still peril in this one and it's not insignificant peril. But it's a book set in wartime, so it wouldn't feel real if no one in the core group was ever in danger. I'm probably the most avoidant I've been of books with potential for deaths of key characters at the moment (murder mysteries don't count) but I enjoy this series so much that I read it in the run up to release last week (thank you NetGalley for coming through on the copy for me) because I wanted to see how it ended. I'm sad it's over, but I enjoyed it so much, and I look forward to seeing the characters that A J Pearce creates next.

I've loved all the books in this wonderful series, which tell the story of Emmy Lake and her friends and colleagues at the Women's Friend magazine as they navigate life on the home front during World War Two. It was a joy to be part of this world one more time, and I know I'll miss this group of stiff upper lip, but very believable characters.
In this, the 4th book, it's 1944, and although victory now seems inevitable, things are still far from resolved and Britain is struggling with loss, fear, and both physical and mental exhaustion. It's the magazine's job to keep spirits up and ensure that everyone does their bit, but as personal issues crowd in on Emmy and her friends, that job becomes ever harder.
A J Pearce does a great job bringing to life the world of 1940s Britain. She treads a fine line between bringing home the grim reality of war, whilst also keeping a feel-good momentum to the story.
I've thoroughly enjoyed all four books in this uplifting series, and I know I'll miss the characters and their refreshing resilience and determination.
With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoyed this easy read, the characters and the storyline and would recommend to others.

A fabulous ending to a wonderful, heart-warming series. It has been a privilege to read the Emmy Lake books. I don't re-read books often, but I would make an exception for these. I look forward to whatever A J Pearce writes next!

What a wonderful conclusion to this series of wartime books.

I feel like my review cant help encompass the whole series. I think you could enjoy this book on its own, but you would miss out on the experience of getting to know everyone so well in the previous books.

I love how Emmy has been written in a way that she feels more mature by book 4, you can really see her development and the impact of war life on her.

I felt uncomfortable sometimes with the lines about everyone doing their bit, but actually feel like there was a storyline in this book that both recognised this was the reality for tjose living through the war, yet the problematic nature of the power hungry within the system.

What kept me coming back for more were the relationships. I felt so safe, even though there was danger and real loss ( I ugly cried at least twice while reading the series as well as plenty of other weepy moments). The main characters really were looking out for each other. And with Emmy being the daughter of a suffragette, she has a 'modern' approach to the way she wants to interact and write about women for the magazine.

I wish I had a gran like Bunty, in particular the houses and setting of the book are stunning and I love the representation of community. This isn't a gritty look at war life for women, but it also isn't a glossy make over. The reader gets a real glimpse into how difficult life was through the eyes of a character who is trying to see the best in things, but struggling with the challenges sent her way.

If you havent started this series, now is a great time as you now have the complete quartet to make yoir way through. Have hankies for tears of sadness and joy.

I loved the first couple of books in this series. They were such a surprise hit for me. Going into this book I was hoping for another cosy read. (I didn't realise that this was book 4 in the series - I missed book 3... not sure how that happened)

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first two. I'm not sure if this was because I hadn't read book 3 - or if the characters and storyline of 'Miss Byrd' have just run its course.
This book was just OK - i felt it was missing the cosy-ness and the spark of the first one in the series.
I might try and read book 3, and return to this one again after reading - see if that will change my viewpoint.

This is the fourth and last book in this wartime series. It's 1944 and London is being bombarded by the V2 bombs. When Bunty suggests that whole staff relocation to her Grannys in Hampshire everyone wholehearted agrees. While they are down there Harold proposes to Bunty and a summer wedding is planned.
At the same time Emmy is doing more visits to Women doing wartime jobs and reporting on this for the war office via the magazine. She is given the chance to go abroad and visit liberated Brussels she grasps it with two hands. Charles is told that he is going to Europe and he is gone when she returns from Brussels.
She gets the news that he has been taken prisoner and learns that the war office aren't good with dealing with families wanting news about their loved ones. Now she has experience of this, she bands together with other wives and creates a newsletter of what to do and any news that's been forthcoming.
I found these books fascinating.

I’ve loved this series and was sad to hear that book 4 would be the final book. However, this is an excellent finale to the series as Emmy and her friends deal with waiting for the war to finish. Can they help keep morale up whilst waiting for news about their own loved ones? A wonderful series about how the British women helped win the war.

I was lucky enough to be offered the opportunity to read this book on NetGalley and what a super book it is! Straightaway you are welcomed into the world of Woman’s Friend magazine with its supportive group of staff and friends. This is the final book of the series written about Emmy Lake but it works really well as a standalone book.
I loved reading about all the characters who are negotiating their way through the end of the Second World War with all its uncertainties and worries. I was transported back to the period effortlessly by the skilful writing and clear sense of place created. It is a book filled with warmth and love and I have no hesitation in highly recommending it. A real gem of a book!

I have read a few wartime books recently but this was heartfelt, emotional and funny all at the same time.

After 5 years of war, what do you do when disaster strikes and you are heartbroken? How can you help others when you are grieving yourself?

This book encapsulates the meaning of friendship beautifully!
Definitely worth a read!

A fabulous ending to the Emmy Lake books. I absolutely loved it, as I have loved all of them. If if you've never read any, go back to the beginning beginning and read "Dear Miss Bird" first. I would really love to have read a proper copy of the actual magazine! Well done to the author for producing such an authentic set of books.

I love this series, so heartwarming and easy to devour. Sad it’s coming to an end but what an ending.

I loved this final instalment, a perfect end to this wholesome series. I highly recommend if you are a lover of historical fiction. Emmy, Bunty and the whole Woman’s Friend crew are a joy to read about and this series is such a celebration of the Home Front and the female experience of WWII.

This series has always managed such a brilliant balance of cozy and heartwarming friendships and relationships alongside the challenges, fear and uncertainty that was acutely felt during the war.

Highly recommend this series for all historical fiction fans. It’s a joy!

A beautiful and fitting finale to this wonderful series!

With the end of the war hopefully in sight, it's business as usual at the offices of the Woman's Friend. The staff continue to work with the War Office to spread the information they want to get to the public's attention and Emmy Lake continues to answer the problem postbag in her own inimitable style, pondering over how to say what's not really allowed in a manner the reader will understand. As London is still the target of German bombs, the staff relocate to the countryside en masse. With worries about family members uppermost in their minds, can they keep the magazine running?

I have loved this series from the very beginning, with each novel advancing into the war years. I've always enjoyed domestic fiction set during the wars but had never considered how magazines kept going and, from that point of view, these books have been a real eye-opener. The author has made me interested in the characters and invested in their lives and this final book tied everything up superbly. Whether happy or sad, there was an ending for everyone. A terrifically enjoyable series, brought to a fitting close and I'm happy to not only recommend this book but every single one in the series. Five sparkling stars!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley.

The final book! Which makes sense, as the war would eventually end and I wasn’t sure if they were going to continue beyond that. This continues to follow Emmy in the last dregs of WWII – and despite there being three previous books, we still end up with new experiences and perspectives in this one, and focus more on the fight on the continent rather than the Blitz. Again it really hits that balance between cozy community and support, combined with emotional moments in a time of uncertainty and fear, without it feeling like too much of either. I’m intrigued to see what this author writes next!

I was equally excited about and dreading this book. I know that as soon as I'm immersed in the writing of AJ Pearce and the world of Emmy Lake, I will get that warm fuzzy feeling and all will be well with the world. But if this is to be the final installment of Emmy's story, that means I won't get to experience another new chapter of her life again. And I'm not happy about that.

Having said that, this book was everything I wanted it to be. Chock-full of stoicism, stiff upper lips and keep going attitudes that I'm not sure I have the emotional strength to emulate. Dear Miss Lake is a wonderful tribute to the people of Britain during the Second World War, a generation that will likely never be repeated. It is also full of love and friendship that I strive to emulate on a daily basis, and I wish more of the world would too.

The marvellous cast of characters are put through some of the most unimaginable pain and heartache but they are given the ending to the story they absolutely deserve. It's not all plain sailing and happy endings, and that is correctly and sensitively achieved, but my heart was warmer at the end than it was before I started the book. And ultimately, that's all I need from Emmy and Bunty and all their loved ones.

Now I'll just have to go back and reread the series whilst I wait for AJ Pearce to write about another group of people I am bound to fall in love with.