I love Effie and all the girls in this book even the not so nice ones were fun to read about as they all have different but such strong personalities. There are friendships forming and plenty of romance blooming in the emotional story that warmed me right up. I laughed, cried, screamed and smiled. It shows what hard work women also put into fighting in the war while dealing with prejudices. I really appreciate and value stories like this because the fiction side is fun to read while there are also elements of truth.

The East End Girls is a WWII romance novel between two characters both fighting in the war. I could not put this book down and read it in just a couple of days (for me that is fast!).

I love how the author combines not only a romance, but also a really good historical fiction, with a lot of detail about the character's military positions within the war. I love a WWII romance novel, but I really enjoy reading about the different types of work people whom signed up to serve in the war did. I had never read anything directly related to the barrage balloon operators before this book, and I really enjoyed the detail and descriptions that the author put into the women's training, and their active employment of the barrage balloons. It felt like someone explaining the inner workings of the entire process who had actually been in one of these WAAF units and had manned the barrage balloons themselves. I really appreciate that the author puts that kind of detail into explaining things (since those of us reading probably have no clue about the inner workings of WWII barrage balloon units), because it really takes you from just reading this story, to feeling like you are right there with Effie, George, Alice, and all the ladies as they work together to get Bessie in the air.

This story keeps you on the edge of your seat! What is a WWII romance without a little bit of angst about the main characters surviving their missions! Nathan, the MMC, flying those secret missions, made me nervous every time, I was just waiting for something bad to happen. Effie, the FMC, I love her character. I could tell right from the first chapter, that her and Leonard were not exactly meant for each other. Especially when he had to complain about the fact she had signed up for the military, how selfish of him to think that way. I am so happy that Effie decided to follow her heart, regardless of what "people might think" because honestly who cares what other people think. But in the 1940's, it wasn't always so easy to just go against your parents wishes, so I applaud Effie for refusing to let expectation, or bigotry, stand in the way of her love for Nathan. I find all the women in the WAAF to be extremely brave, as most of them volunteered to work in the barrage balloon units, yet even then, the male officers still didn't think they would have what it takes to actually appropriately operate the balloons. But the women had no problems, and not only had to deal with all the other atrocities that working in a war zone brings, but also the constant cat calls and degradation by their male counterparts. It would be hard to be a female soldier in WWII, but that didn't stop thousands of women from volunteering anyway.

I also loved all of the other female characters, Effie's friends and fellow barrage balloon unit comrades, in this story. They all have amusing personalities, and knowing this book will be a series, I am excited to see who the next one will be about!

This book is an amazing love story, and historical fiction, that you will not be able to put down, so free up some time when you start reading!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture, and the author for a copy of this book!

I am a big fan of WWII historical fiction. What I loved about The East End Girls is that it tells the story about a part of WWII that I was not familiar with all the while focusing on relationships and incorporating other social issues.

Effie Weston is a Corporal in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. Tasked with defending London’s East End from German raids, Effie and the other women in her unit manage one of the barrage ballon sites. Together they went through an intense training program building bonds of friendship, though not all the women in the group saw eye to eye leading to some issues among the team.

After a chance meeting at the train station, Effie once again crosses paths with Nathan, a Flying Officer from Barbados serving on a base in England. Sparks fly and the two find themselves falling for each other. But can their love survive the trials of war?

This is not just a love story or a story about women serving in the military. Through the cast of characters, it explores tough subject matter including racism, biracial relationships, pregnancy out of wedlock and alcoholism as well as others.

This book was a heart-warming story of love, friendship, perseverance, and strength. I found myself rooting for Effie and Nathan but also loved the bond shared between Effie and Alice and the way the group of girls comes together for each other.

Thank you to Bookouture for the ARC of this book. This was a refreshing read that was so enjoyable that I read in one sitting.

a great start to a book series that has great potential. and i definitely want to follow and no more about these woman going forward. i liked how we got some strong woman here, determined to do their bits. and knowing it was just as important. what some did at home only served to help those out fighting just as much. the job they faced wad particularly dangerous at times. i cant imagine also knowing you were all your family had at the moment, you were here keeping things together but all were often in danger yourself. but still these woman went to their assigned plots and continued to work.
this book we focus more so on one of our three girls. Effie and her two friends trained together and end up in the same balloon site and is strong friendship already starts to form.
Effie has alot of questions to ask herself in this book. she feels under pressure from a few sides that dont feel like they meet her hearts wants. and this is especially highlighted when a blue eyed man meets her eyes and holds them there. and so a love story begins even under the frustration of others.
but can love withstand war and all its dangers.

I have seen many pictures of barrage balloons floating over London. I have heard of the importance of the balloons as away to deter the German planes flying overhead. I never stopped to think how they were in the sky. I never stopped to think who was responsible for the actually putting them in the air, transporting them, or taking them down. I definitely didn't know what it entailed.

Thanks to Jean Fullerton, I am not as clueless as I was before reading The East End Girls. I am amazed that on many occasions it was women holding the lines, standing in extreme weather conditions, with bombs falling all around them. The East End Girls taught me so much as I escaped into a dramatic tale and a forbidden romance.

Effie is part of the first women barrage teams. She and other volunteers go through a grueling training program in order to do their part. Reading of conflicts, jealousies, and friendships had me wondering how they got through it all. Would they be able to work as a team? Catiness, secrets and numerous struggles weave a very dramatic tale. Total respect to the WAAFs for their dedication and bravery.

It was never all work. There was some play. Dances helped them escape the depth of despair. Daliances helped. Effie isn't sure about the dances. Was it appropriate for an engaged woman to attend? A chance encounter on a train platform becomes a chance encounter on the dance floor. Effie finds herself hoping for more and more chance encounters with Flying Officer Nathan Fitzgerald.

My hope for a romance, even if it is a forbidden, had me reading page after page hoping to see what happened next. I didn't realize the challenges they would have. I didn't know if they would find their happily ever after. I honestly didn't know if he would survive his missions to Occupied France.

Another wonderful EastEnd book from Jean Fullerton. Following a group of women who are being trained to act as Barrage balloon operators the storyline focuses on Effie who falls in love with an Airforce pilot. As war progresses Nathan is sent on several risky missions and risks missing his own wedding. Can’t wait for more in this new series. Thanks to Jean and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley

A nice easy read, which I really enjoyed, a fantastic story and. characters, can’t wait for the next one

Thank you net galley and the publisher for this arc
I really enjoyed this one, just a nice easy read that I didn’t want to end

This would have worked better for me as a movie.

The East End Girls tells the story of Effie, a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAFs), who is trying to defend London during WWII. There, she’s not only bonding with the closest friends she's ever had; she’s also intrigued by a handsome pilot that it’s making her question whether she should marry her long-term fiancée after all.

But they are in the middle of the war, and their dreams can be turned to dust in a second.

The East End Girls had a good plot and I enjoyed following strong women who, like Effie, decided to become part of the WAAFs. That being said, I also had a lot of problems with this book, mainly because I didn’t like the writing style.

This author focuses a lot on describing places and actions, but very little on feelings. That’s why I think it would have worked better as a movie, you weren’t going to miss what the characters were thinking: they aren’t. The only thoughts we get to glimpse were about the romance: Effie comparing Nathan (Hero) to her fiancée or fangirling about Nathan’s body/eyes/smile; and Nathan thinking about Effie. I was missing the inner monologues. I think this is the first time I’ve ever said that in a review.

Another problem I had is that, with that title, I thought the book was going to be more focused on friendships than it was. The main focus is the war and the romance, and the friendships, even though important, are secondary to the romance. I found it a bit misleading because I picked this up after loving The Bookclub for Troublesome Women. I wanted another historical fiction focused on female friendships, not romance, and the title made me think this was going to be it. At the same time, I understand this is the first book in a series about this group of friends that are part of the WAAFs in the East End, so I don’t think it doesn’t fit the story, but maybe call the series The East End Girls and give this book a different title.

Also, now that I’ve finished the book and reread the blurb, I don’t recommend reading the blurb before reading the book. Even though it doesn’t spoil everything, there are things mentioned that happened in the second half of the book.

Overall, despite my constant struggle with the lack of feelings expressed in the prose, I somehow managed to care a bit for the main characters and the rest of the girls. I would have enjoyed this if I could connect with the writing style. I would have liked to continue getting to know all the girls, especially Alice and George. If this ever becomes a TV series, I’ll be the first to watch it. As it is, this didn’t work for me.

I’d recommend it if you are interested in how it was like to be a WAAF during WWII (I learned a lot), female friendships, war love stories and don’t like having inner monologues in your books because you prefer a writing style more focused on plot, actions and descriptions than feelings. The action was well-paced and it was entertaining.

I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The east end girls, another great book by Jean Fullerton doing what she does best, books with great stories and great characters. Already looking forward to the next one ⭐️

First of all I love this author's books. The Ration Book series was brilliant.
This book is about the girls who worked on the Balloon Sites in England in WWII. It was a tough, dirty and dangerous job and not everyone who started training survived it.
We have a group of friends from all walks of life and Effie is our main character. They train together and end up on the same site together and an enduring friendship begins. Not all the girls are nice however and there's one nasty piece of work among them. They're nearly all from different backgrounds. Romances blossom and heartache also makes itself known.
I felt I never really got to know any of the characters in depth. The story was a little thin and at times moved along very slowly. There were chapters where nothing much happened and there was a bit of repetition of some phrases which got annoying.
However, I did like the descriptions of the work at the Balloon sites and of the SOE.
I often think of these books as set up books for the stories to come so I will be reading the next one which I think will deal with a different girl.

Thanks to Bookoutre and NetGalley for an early copy to read.

If you are looking for an exciting and heartwarming World War II story The East End Girls is the story for you. Not only does our main heroine follow her heart in her career in working in the WAAF she also defys the wishes of her parents for standing up for what she believes in by sticking by the man she loves. I will admit her parents are slightly hypocritical but the love that Effie and Nathan have for each other makes up for that.
Our main heroine Effie decides to join the WAAF much to the dismay of her parents and her fiance Leonard. Along this journey she meets some other young ladies who become her dearest friends. She also meets the dashing Nathan a pilot from Barbados. As they get to know each other sparks start to fly.
Effie later realizes that her current fiance Leonard is not for her and she breaks it off. However, her parents don't take to kindly to Nathan but as mentioned before she stands her ground and will marry him no matter what they think. However a couple of days before the wedding Nathan is declared missing in action and soon Effie begins to wonder if she will ever see him again.
Thankfully this book ended on a happy note. Overall this story was impressive and thay is what matters.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own

I had a great time with this book.

The writing was fantastic, the storyline was good and enjoyable and I liked the characters.

A charming book, full of interesting information on how a group of girls become experts in the maintenance and operation of hoisting barrage balloons during the blitz. Corporal Effie Weston finds romance with Flying Officer Nathan Fitzgerald. But the path of true love runs anything but smooth for Effie and Nathan. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Enjoyable book telling the story of a group of girls learning to manage the Barrage balloons which played a vital role in the protection of the country during the war. The book is well written and the characters personalities come across well to the reader making it easy to decide who to like and who to dislike!

I did find the second half of the book somewhat predictable with Effie's predicament and feel this features in too many wartime novels. I would have liked there to have been more storyline based in France and how the Resistance workers saved Nathan and Frobisher. All in all a light and easy read and I look forward to the next in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for allowing me to read an Arc copy of the title.

Effie is a lovely heroine—young, determined, and strong. Along with her WAAF pals Alice, Nell, and George, she faced the horrors of the Blitz with bravery and a lot of humour.

I loved the girls' bond and friendship as they dealt with air raids, hard work, and the occasional moment of fun.

Nathan—Oh, Nathan. He and Effie met on a station platform, and their special connection was obvious from then on.

Their romance was lovely, and on several occasions I sighed with happiness for them. Until life got in the way.

I liked how the story included both heartwarming moments and depictions of war.

I felt for Effie's struggles, whether it was standing up to her parents or waiting for Nathan's fate; it was very moving what she went through.

If you enjoy WWII historical fiction with strong heroines and a dash of romance, this is the book for you.

I've read several books with a similar title and a recent book on barrage balloon operators - finding those two things combined yet again left a repetitive feeling in head. Overall I found this to be a fairly light story - overbearing fiancé at home is quickly usurped by a dashing military suitor (plot twist, a black airman) who of course turns out to be Effie's soul mate. I'm unsure if I would seek out a sequel or want to know more about the characters' journeys as their war progresses. As seems typical in these WAAF stories, there's a beautiful rich one in the mix and another who is the average mean girl. Upon reflection, I didn't find anything new or especially novel in this story - the interracial relationship notwithstanding, but that actually felt a little kitschy as if it were tossed in for shock value.

I really enjoyed this start to this new series. I loved the characters and was very interested in what they did. Looking forward to the next one in this series. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Title: The East End Girls
Author: Jean Fullerton
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A chance encounter at a train station becomes love at first sight for Nathan, a pilot from Barbados who is assigned to a base in England, when he saves Effie from a thief attempting to steal her suitcase. Not so impressed, Effie’s fiancé, Leonard. The East End Girls takes the reader through the training that Effie experiences to hold a barrage balloon during air raids, as well as Nathan’s assignments to fly into occupied France to drop off and pick up secret operatives during the war. The war is a backdrop for the developing romance between Effie and Nathan.

Positives: This is my first read of a mixed race couple during WWII. It was a breath of fresh air. I had to look up information on the barrage balloons to get a visual and understand the difficulties that Effie and her crew faced in wrangling control of the monstrosity. This book is also the first one in a series according to the book cover. Effie’s balloon crew is a mixed bag of characters that I look forward to reading more about in the series hopefully.

Struggles: There is the obvious racism of those not accepting of a bloc pilot, much less a mixed race couple. The book was a bit of a slow start for me, but about 1/3 of the way in, it was hard to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be republished on June 27, 2025.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #TheEastEndGirls #Bookouture #JeanFullerton

was excited to read the latest by Jean Fullerton. I read her entire Ration Book series and LOVED it. East End Girls lacked the same charm. It was heavier on historical details and lighter on the character development. I’m hopeful that as the series continues, the characters will become like old friends who I’m excited to see again.