Another great update on Emmy Lake, Bunty Charles Guy and all the magazine regulars. There is domestic and actual war drama heavily featured, and throughout it all Emmy, Bunty and all the magazine staff do their best to soldier in with a positive attitude.
An excellent story, which I enjoyed even more than the previous 3 books.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to have read this ahead of publication and exchange for an honest review

I greatly enjoyed all the other novels in this series and this was no different and am sad that this is the last novel where we will read about Emmy, Bunty, Guy and all the other characters.

However, I feel that this is the weakest of the four. Whilst the author has always dealt with issues of the war years with both humour and compassion, I didn't feel that this tone was really appropriate to capture how the horrors of the frontline in the last years of the war (POWs' treatment at the hands of the Nazis and especially Japanese) had to be faced at home. Some of the levity sat very ill next to the greater concerns which was then smoothed over with some tell-don't-show heavy-handed dialogue.

This was still an enjoyable read, even though it felt that the original idea was running out of steam. I look forward to what AJ Pearce writes next.

Absolutely brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending it.

And so Emmy, Bunty and the gang come to 1944 - the end of the war is in distant sight and with it the end of this engaging, funny, and at times emotional series. I for one am not ready to say goodbye (especially to Mr Collins).
The genius of these books is that they have felt perfectlycontemporaneous to the period, as if they really were written by Emmy in real time, with the language, morals and world building absolutely spot on. It also means that we experience home front life in all its danger, drab dreariness, constant fear, sadness and sometime joy, brought to vivid life through Emmy's eyes. She has of course matured through this series, honed by grief and love and experience, now as the wife of a senior officer it is her role to set a good example and lead the wives of more junior officers, some of whom are barely out their teens, in addition to her responsibilities to the magazine and the many women who write in for her help, her friends and the three motherless children she and Bunty are looking after until their father returns.
I have loved every word in this series and can't recommend them enough. I don't know what AJ Pearce is planning to write next, but may I suggest a Mr Collins origin story? I think there would be an eager market for that...

Book number four in the chronicles of Emmy Lake has been a joy to read . Following our heroine as she navigates life through the hardships of war torn Britain with a stiff upper lip . This series reminds me a lot of Enid Blyton and jolly hockey sticks and has had me laughing out loud at times . But on a serious side AJ Pearce has bought to life what life was like for the women in that era covering domestic hardships and the reality of war . I love all the characters and it tied up all the loose ends of the previous books . Don’t want to give out any spoilers so I’ll leave it there . If you’ve read her other books it’s an absolute must .

The last of the Emmy Lake series and a fitting end - poignant but ultimately hopeful. I have enjoyed these gentle and thoughtful reads. The reality of war for those left behind is brought to life in an understated but poignant manner.

Those working on Women’s Friend magazine continue to publish articles to raise spirits and encourage women to put their everything in to support the war effort despite their own struggles. As well as toeing the government line, Emmy is determined to raise issues important to their readers and to answer their questions on the Problem Page honestly.

When her own husband becomes a POW, she takes up the cause of the wives and mothers left in limbo when there is no confirmation of their status. She also demands answers as to their fate as the Nazis retreat.

Against this sober background there is a wedding, two births and a summer in the country. The light and the dark.

A positive ending to a very enjoyable series.

Thank you so much to the publishers for letting me read an e-proof of Dear Miss Lake. What an absolute joy this series has been! I have read and loved each of A J Pearce’s books, but have to say that this one is my favourite - it’s just wonderful, and the perfect conclusion to the series. Good hearted, touching, funny and emotional, it’s the perfect escape from present day troubles and really should be prescribed as a national tonic. Bravo!

This is the final book in the series. I have thoroughly enjoyed these gentle, thoughtful reads. Emmy's character has grown with each novel. The war is all too real yet written about from the point of view of those left behind so the reader is left to imagine the horrors faced overseas.

I am sorry to have reached the end of the Emmy Lake stories. I look forward to AJ Pearce's next book.

Oh I love this series of books and what a fitting ending this tale is. Although it's tempting to look at them as part of the dreadful nostalgia about the Second world War that seems to have taken over the country, these books are much deeper than that and offer an insight into the home front and the terrible strain of the war. The storyline involving Charles echoes that of my grandfather's war experience so I found the ending incredibly moving. I also appreciated that Pearce doesn't try to shoehorn modern thinking into the storyline, any recognition of attitudes that may change in future is done sensitively. Sad to see these end but I'm glad that the series has been a joy - tears and laughter - from start to finish.

I feel like it’s the end of an era! This series has been amongst my absolute favourite as far as wartime historical fiction is concerned and I’ve come to adore these characters. It was such a bittersweet end as the war comes to a close and our cast of characters see out the very toughest of times.

I’m always hooked to these books as soon as I start and to go through marriages, turmoil, happiness and struggles with them over the series has been lovely. Couldn’t have enjoyed them more and had looked forward to every single one.

This one felt like another gift and now it’s all over, I can’t wait to go back to the beginning again and start from the top. The characters are absolutely amazing, the plots and storylines compelling and they always leave you feeling fuzzy and happy. This one was the same.

Hardcore love for this series, big love to the author and for all the characters we’ve got to get to know over the years :).

And now I’m thoroughly subscribed to the next series she creates and will be eagerly at the very front of the queue to support and no doubt love with my whole heart, the characters she creates and introduces to us next. I can’t wait!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for this ARC.

This is book 4 in the Emmeline Lake series about Emmy, husband Charles and, among others, friends Bunty, Harold, Guy and Hester trying to survive the war in London. In July 44, ladies' magazine Woman's Friend's "Cheerfully Yours" advice column is more popular than ever but it's dangerous in London with the bombs so the entire staff move to Rose House in the Hampshire countryside, taking Thelma's children George, Margaret and Stan with them.

This is a gentle wartime story about the staff of a woman's magazine, with Emmy rising through the ranks, becoming a wartime correspondent, trying to keep morale up, dealing with some weddings and pregnancies, a Christmas Fayre, readers needing help and a lot of stiff upper lip in the face of the realities of war that is getting very personal.

I don't normally read wartime historical fiction, especially those with "Girls" in the title as many of them are twee and I don't need war romanticised. I enjoyed this series of four books a lot though as they are quite feminist with modern attitudes. Much happens to our heroine Emmy during the war though I think the previous books had more action plus I found the running of the magazine more interesting than constant weddings and talk of rationings and pulling yourself together.

Resilience is a great attribute and getting on with life is all you can do but I was more interested in the individual characters' lives and not the general war. I liked all the spirited women but also Guy and Charles etc who, lets face it, are all lovelier and more modern than the reality probably was. The description of group-living in a big country manor sounded idyllic so I really didn't understand that they all went back to filthy, dangerous London before the war was over. I would have stayed exactly where I was in relative safety with self-grown food!

Altogether, this is a heartwarming, uplifting read that nevertheless doesn't leave out the more serious topics of POW camps etc. It's full of camaraderie and optimism and is a fitting end to Emmy's busy wartime experiences. I would recommend to read all four in order to get the full story.

I was sad to say goodbye to Emmy and the gang but I think it ended perfectly. It made me cry several times, both happy and sad tears as I felt like I’d been through the war with them. A fantastic end to the series

I've read all four books in this - what's a series of four books called? a quadrology? - probably not. Anyway there are four, starting with Dear Mrs Bird and ending with Dear Miss Lake, following the wartime adventures of Emmy Lake at Woman's Friend magazine. Over the course of the series, Emmy's got married, gained and lost friends, and learned that although she dreamed of being a war correspondent, the impact of a women's magazine can be surprisingly far-reaching.

This got off to a bit of a slow start for me, but things did pick up. Emmy's problem page shines a light on the lives and concerns of women in this era - men away at war or in POW camps, unexpected/unmarried pregnancies, and more. And some of these concerns come very close to home for Emmy and her friends.

An enjoyable read, as always, and a bit of a shame it's the last one.

And apparently, four books is a tetralogy. Who knew?

A bittersweet one for me in that I enjoyed it immensely but as the last of the series I also hated the idea of leaving Emmy, Bunty and co behind. I'm now tempted to go back to the very beginning and read all four books again. Highly recommend

As twee as ever but as good as ever, too. I was very much looking forward to reading this and I was not let down. A fitting end to the series.

***advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***
A decent end to a decent series. If you’ve read the previous instalments of the Emmy Lake chronicles, you’ll know what you’re expecting to find here. It’s a surprisingly moving read, for all that it’s very cheerful and Enid Blyton-esque in respect of the style - readers may find that this hits harder than you might expect from the get go. A very satisfying ending to the series.

I have love everyone of the Dear Mrs Bird series and this was no exception.. Not as much goes on in this one but as its the end of the series, and the end of the war, it ties everything up nicely. A feel good read that has you rooting for each one of these characters. I look forward to Pearce's next offering.

It was so wonderful to be back in Emmy Lake's world once again - this is a great addition to a brilliant series and definitely well worth a read.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I was delighted to receive an advance copy of this latest book in the Miss Lake series. Thank you to the publisher and net galley.
The writing style is excellent and the reader feels they are in the 1940s England. The characters are well-observed and relatable. It was especially interesting to read about Prisoners of War and their families; a subject I’d not read a lot about previously, my main reference having been the Colditz series of the 1970s.
At the beginning of the book I wondered what more could be written about the war and I was pleasantly surprised that there were many new subjects tackled, including a visit to Brussels.
I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Dear Miss Lake’ and would highly recommend it to others.

This is such a lovely heart warming series.
The characters do begin to feel like old friends.
It's good that as much as they have going on in their own lives, there's still a magazine to be run.
At times I felt this book was too busy, cramming in so many topics relevant to the war, but the war was not a time when little happened, so it's to be expected.
Some very very lovely moments in here.
You definitely get the best of it by reading previous books.