I had the distinct pleasure of reviewing Elaine’s previous book, which was also the first book in the ‘Foyles Bookshop Girls’ series when it was released in June of 2018. I enjoyed the first book so I couldn’t wait for the second book to be released. Well the wait is now over because the second book in the series called ‘The Foyles Bookshop Girls At War’ was released on 15th January 2019. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it but more about that in a bit.
Molly is the main focus of this book. When the story opens Molly is about to reluctantly leave her job at the Foyles Bookshop. I say reluctantly because really she would love to stay but she feels that she has to do her duty and contribute to the war effort, which means leaving Foyles and going to work elsewhere. Molly gets a job in the munitions factory and she keeps the fact a secret from her parents for a while. To be honest, the job she has sounds so terrifying because she is putting the gunpowder into the shells for the army. One false move and she has had it so to speak. I think that Molly underestimates how hard the work will be and at the beginning she seems to dither about staying or leaving to go back to Foyles. She perseveres and she soon starts to form friendships at her current workplace, whilst staying in touch with her friends from Foyles. Molly is a pleasant, kind, compassionate and caring young woman, who would go out of her way to help those in need. She is also feisty, determined, strong and she is one tough cookie. If I had one criticism (and it’s only a teensy tiny one), it would be that Molly is too over cautious is some areas. Sometimes he seems to hold back from stepping out of her comfort zone and trying new things and she sticks with what she knows because it’s comfortable.
Oh my word, I was hooked on this book from the moment I read the title never mind the synopsis. Elaine has a knack for drawing the reader in from the first couple of sentences onwards and she keeps your attention throughout the book. That’s what happened to me anyway. She has created some wonderful characters, who seem to come to life and jump off the page as it were. I found that I took to the character of Molly from the first moment I met her and her bookshop friends. By the time I got to the end of the book I did feel as though the girls were my friends.
For me, this book is very well written. It’s clear that the author has done a lot of research regarding the wartime period and this shines through in her writing. Elaine certainly has a keen eye for detail. I had a limited amount of knowledge about the wartime period because I studied A-Level Modern History but this book helped me to have a better understanding of what conditions were like back then. Elaine’s writing is so realistic and convincing that I really did feel as though I had gone back in time and I was actually part of the story. I felt everything that the characters were going through. For me this book has a bit of everything – there’s drama, conflict, worry, hope, despair, joy and the occasional dash of romance. What more could you possibly want in a book?
In my opinion ‘The Foyles Bookshop Girls At War’ is a very good sequel to ‘The Foyles Bookshop Girls and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would have no hesitation in recommending this series and this author to other readers. I can’t wait to read the third book in the series. Thankfully I don’t have too long to wait because the next book called ‘Christmas At The Foyles Bookshop’ is due for release on 1st August 2019. Elaine Roberts is an author to watch and she is right up there on my list of must read authors. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This is the second book in this series and I enjoyed it just as much as the first one. A well written story of friendship, family and life set in wartime London.

This heartwarming story could be read as a standalone novel but I highly recommend starting with the first book in the series. This book gives a very interesting insight into the work of the women in the factories who were known as canaries.

I am looking forward to the third book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good series of books and this is the second in this fantastic series. It can be read as a standalone, but it’s a shame not to get to know all the girls by reading the series.

This time the focus is mainly on Molly, who has left Foyles to work in a munitions factory. The work is tough, a long 12 hour shift where she is one of the “canaries”, a woman who packs TNT into shells. They’re on their feet all day, get only one break in their shift, and the work is dangerous.

I knew nothing about these women known as “canaries” until I read this book, and when I looked into it it’s quite shocking. The TNT turned their skin and hair yellow, hence the nickname, and there could be health issues longer term, such as toxic jaundice. There was also the risk of detonation as they packed the case closed with a detonator.

It’s difficult for Molly at the beginning, the long commute, the hard day, and being the new girl and having to make new friends. But she still keeps up her friendship with Victoria and Alice, and they meet up for their favourite tea and chocolate cake.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series. A wonderful tale of the heroism and heart-break of war.

This is the second, and newest book, in the Foyles Girls Trilogy, set in World War 1 London. Before I picked this one up, I hadn't read the first book, which made this one a very slow starter for me as I had to get caught up on who's who and what's what.

Once I did, the novel really picked up and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Loved the characters and actually wish it would become a long-running series, more than just a trilogy.

Love, friendship, dealing with the war on the home front, and the wonderful characters all combine to make this a great, heartwarming read, one I'd recommend. But I'd also suggest that readers should read the first book before starting on this one.

Having enjoyed the first in this series, I've been keeping and eye on this one nearing the top of my tbr list and - as expected - it delivered everything I thought it would ... and more!

Once again we are immersed in the lives of Molly, Alice and Victoria, to find Molly about to leave Foyles Bookshop to do some serious, and dangerous, war work. Determined to maintain their close friendship, the girls have to work harder at keeping in touch once they don't see each other at work. But little did they know what was in front of them . . .

As always, Elaine Roberts paints a picture of friendship, family and really shows the spirit of 'we're all in it together'. This novel encompasses such a lot, and does it beautifully. The characters come alive on the page, the warmth and love shines through and there is adversity a-plenty. A fantastic sequel, and I can hardly wait to see where the next one takes us. Highly recommended read, especially if, like me, you are fond of books set in the domestic side of WWII.

My thanks to publisher Aria for my copy. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

It was so nice to take a visit to London during WW1 again and meet up with Alice, Molly and Victoria, aka the Foyles Bookshop Girls. Whilst the first book in the trilogy was very much Alice's story, this second book follows Molly as she leaves the relative safety of Foyles and becomes a 'canary', working at the munitions factory. She's punishing herself for something, and putting herself into a more dangerous job is her way of making herself feel better.

This book is my favourite of the books so far and I very much enjoyed reading about Molly's change of direction. She's really feisty and independent, that new independence being something that women were only starting to have for the first time because of the war. I must admit, I didn't envy her the long journey by bicycle across London to her new place of work, let alone the yellow skin and the constant worry of working in such a dangerous profession. But I did really admire the way she stuck to her guns and got on with it.

It was lovely to catch up with other characters too. Molly's friends still play a major role, and don't worry, Foyles still plays its part in the story. What I did like most of all was the gorgeous love story (I'm not telling you who was involved, go find out for yourself!). That was the bit I couldn't wait to get back to and to see what was going to happen next and it really made my heart melt.

The Foyles Bookshop Girls at War is a delightful story of love and friendship amidst the heartbreak of war. I'm looking forward to reading book three at Christmas.

A terrific tale of courage, friendship, love and sacrifice that makes for perfect fireside reading, The Foyles Bookshop Girls at War continues Elaine Roberts’ enchanting and enthralling series set during the dark days of the First World War.

Molly Cooper has always dreamed of spending her days surrounded by books and enjoying the company of book lovers as they share favourite writers and discover new authors to enjoy. However, the gathering clouds of war had put a sudden stop to her dreams. Determined to do her bit for King and country and to keep the home fires burning, Molly decided to sacrifice the job she loves above everything else in the world, so she swaps literature for the munitions factory and heads off to the East End where she secures employment at the Silvertown factory. The factory floor is worlds away from what she is used to, but Molly is determined to see this new adventure through and to not let her fear and nerves get in the way of her duty to her country.

Being the new girl is tough – but it’s nowhere near as tough as the back-breaking work and hard physical labour which Molly must do relentlessly. Hard work keeps Molly from thinking about the destruction which war is wreaking and the dreams and opportunities it is unceremoniously shattering. As the days go by, Molly beings to settle into Silvertown and unlikely friendships soon develop between her and her colleagues, but is it enough to keep her from thinking about her broken heart? Or will this new job bring with it further surprises and new beginnings which she had never even imagined?

I thoroughly enjoyed Elaine Roberts’ debut novel, The Foyles Bookshop Girls, so it was with great joy and eagerness that I started the second novel in this trilogy and I wasn’t the slightest bit disappointed. A story told with plenty of humour, warmth and heart, The Foyles Bookshop Girls at War is written with flair and verve and vividly and colourfully brings to life what life was truly like during the difficult days of the First World War.

Molly’s story is sure to touch your heart and lift your spirits. A character whom you cannot help but admire and cheer for, Molly Cooper is a fantastic heroine I enjoyed spending time with. Intelligent, resourceful and so brave and courageous, Molly is a heroine who will linger in your head and your heart long after the last page is turned.

If you are a saga fan and haven’t yet added Elaine Roberts to your list of favourite authors, then what on earth are you waiting for?

Hooray! Elaine Roberts and the Foyles Bookshop Girls are back! I loved book #1 and was eager for this. Molly sees herself wondering about life outside her beloved Foyles Bookshop where she works with friends. England is at war and it is with a heavy heart but also courage that she starts work at the munitions factory in Silvertown in the East End of London.

Molly hides the fact she's changed jobs from her parents and cycles to work to come back shattered after hours of gruelling work in noisy conditions that are as far removed from the atmosphere of Foyles as you can get. Molly is a sensitive person and is in tears more than once over various things. She tries to make the best of life but at times I was thinking "go back to Foyles." The book was heartbreaking in some parts and so well detailled throughout that I felt I was with Molly.

Elaine Roberts has a gift at creating a convincing wartime London atmosphere and I was uneasy over the description of the munitions factory and routines. I was so glad Molly could still meet her friends and there were some very real, very understandable conflicts between them after Molly leaves. but they still make the effort to see each other.

You'll have to read the book to find out more but suffice it to say that this is an excellent second book in the series. I got into it quickly and it was wonderful to see the Foyles girls again. I'd love to review a copy of Christmas at Foyles and anything else Elaine Roberts writes. Another excellent book from one of my favourite historical fiction authors.

Huge thanks to Elaine Roberts and Aria for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review and a place on the blog tour for this title. 4 stars.

Read my review of The Foyles Bookshop Girls (The Foyles Girls #1)
https://katherinesbookuniverse.wordpress.com/2018/06/20/blog-tour-the-foyles-bookshop-girls/

This is the second book in a trilogy about three girls and the lives of their families and friends during WW1. I did purchase the the first book which I enjoyed, but I have to say the second book is better. I think because I’d already met all the characters in book one this book was easier to get into. I enjoyed getting into their lives again. I think all three of the girls have grown up and matured a lot as the war takes hold. I look forward to reading the third book when it comes out.

First, my thanks to Aria for allowing me to review this novel, via Netgalley. Second, sorry to only just be putting up my review, I blame lack of memory.

This is my first Elaine Roberts book - and I can't believe it's taken me so long!

I'm not giving anything away about the story here apart from that this can be read as a standalone, though I think it would have been even better if I'd have read the first - my bad.

I really love the writing style of this writer and as this is a huge part of my enjoyment of anything I read, this was a great pleasure. Elaine has cemented a place on my authors to follow from this moment on.

First I would like to thank Aria for asking me to review this delightful book and to be apart of the blog tour and to Elaine for answer my questions, which you will see in my next post or on my interviews page.
This is the follow on from The Foyles Bookshop Girls. We continue the journeys from the girls from the first book and see where they are know and what is going to happen to them now in the back drop of WW1. Molly whose dream job is to work in the bookshop decides that she must do her duty and goes to work in a munitions factory, however while here she comes up against some issues that even she did not see coming. As the war rages on can these girls keep the dreams that they read about in books alive? Read and find out, there are no give away's here.

I enjoyed reading this book and learning a little about munition girls in world war 1. The character of Molly is well developed and I really wanted to her during the book.
However I was disappointed it focussed mostly on Molly and the other two Foyles girls were less important. Also if you are expecting more about the bookshop it doesn't feature

This is the second book I’ve read about these three young women, and I’ve become very interested in their stories. These books have given me insight into what everyday life was like for the folks living in London during the War, and that’s added to the authenticity of the Foyles Girls’ stories. Although this book focuses more on Molly, it emphasizes the strong friendships among the three girls. The situations depicted in the book fit the war-time scenerio very well. The story of Molly and the other women who worked in the munitions plant was compelling and showed the dangers they faced on a daily basis. There’s also a sweet romance for Molly. This is a clean book with no bad language or embarrassing scenes. I like this author very much and will be looking forward to reading more from her.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

DNF this book. It was not for me. I was drawn to it because I like books set in bookshops, but there wasn’t actually much mention of the bookshop - the focus is on Molly’s work at the munitions factory. I thought this was a well researched book and I commend the author. All in all, it was not for me though. Too twee and, dare I say, a bit boring. I didn’t realise this was book number 2 in a series; maybe I would have felt differently about the book if I had read book one.

The Foyles Bookshop Girls at War is lovely story of friendship between three girls who work at bookshop. Molly who is twenty two loves this job but is called by the war effort for women to take the jobs the men have left behind. She leaves her beloved bookshop job to work in a munitions factory packing gunpowder, getting up very early and riding her bike to work one and half hours away without the knowledge of her parents. She has a new love interest and makes new friends. This is the second in a series of three, for those who love to read about bookshops and WWI. Thank you for the ARC! #TheFoylesBookshopGirlsAtWar #AriaBooks #ElaineRoberts

This book I found to be quite interesting and readable. I like the main characters and how they help and support each other during the war in London. Since this is the second book in the series, now I’ll have to go back and read the first one!

WWI is lumbering on, with terrible implications for so many. Molly, who works at Foyles Bookshop, opts to move to work at a munitions factory but finds she not only misses her friends, she's also got to deal with class issues that never occurred to her. Her co-workers thinks she's stuck up but she's just trying to get along. There's a new love interest in Andrew but that's not really the focus of this old fashioned novel-female friendship and coming into you own is. You can easily read this as a standalone (I did). Thanks to net galley for the ARC. Nice historical fiction.

Alice, Victoria and Molly have all managed to survive the first two years of World War I, the losses and struggles, their friendship and families, as well as their work at the Foyles Bookshop keeping them connected. But, things are changing and with Alice working the shop and working for the ambulance services, Victoria worrying about her sisters as they’ve joined the police, and Molly mired in guilt with the loss of Tony, killed at the front, they’ve all had struggles to get through. But, it seems as if Molly feels she has it worse: the class differences between Molly, Alice and Victoria had never been a ‘thing’ between them, but her frustration with her parents’ ongoing determination to work hard and their deference to both Alice and Victoria’s families eats at her. She wants, or thinks she does, to make a difference for the war effort, and takes a job at a munitions factory – without telling her parents, and with lying to her friends. They know something is up with Molly, but questions are either fobbed off or ignored entirely – and their worry for Molly increases as time goes by and she’s not told her parents.

Meanwhile, at the factory, Molly finds that she isn’t ‘fitting in’ there, being seen as “posh’ and a bit of a threat with her manners, her clothing and the seeming interest the factory boss seems to take in her. It’s a struggle- the work is hard, her commute by bicycle takes her across London, and the dangers of the munitions factory, and her ever-present exhaustion are wearing on her. While she and her friends used to chat regularly at work and make dates for chocolate cake and tea, there’s a remove as they are alternately frustrated with and worried for her. And, honestly, Molly is often acting a right stroppy little madam, making snap judgments, sharp comments and bemoaning her own situation – one that she chose. It wasn’t easy to understand or empathize with the level of strain and struggle that she was facing, and the discounting of her own will with Andrew’s behavior was frustrating – times have so changed, despite it all.

But, an explosion at the factory that caused destruction of homes and buildings, losses of life and a sharp comeuppance to Molly in recognizing and realizing her true feelings, when everything came to a head she’s faced with her utterly selfish and quite spoilt behavior. Yes, she was called that frequently – quite rightly too – and you could see her stamping her feet in denial – much as one would expect. Fortunately, her better nature did win out, and she discovered not only her own strength but the reasons her parents had sacrificed so much – offering her more options for her life then they ever assumed or saw possible for themselves. For me, Molly was my least favorite of the three friends – with Alice’s story there was a sense of ‘already grown up’, where Molly was far more a child pretending to be grown. And, her lying to her family and friends, not just to herself, was a difficult hurdle to overcome – if you’re out at 5 am – and not back until 7 – who isn’t going to wonder? It was another marker of her youth and inexperience with deception, even as she was fighting shadows all the time. Even as I didn’t engage with Molly as well as I expected, the story of the work in the factories, the dangers, smells and struggles, and even the weight of expectations from self, parents, country and the ‘man on the street’ were clearly presented and accessible, and this was a lovely story.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aeI/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

This book made me feel many different emotions at one time. The characters were very well described and you could really feel what they were feeling. I have remembered this book long after I finished it. A time in our history when everyone was affected by what was going on in the world. A great read.

Excellent book! Loved the characters and it was a great storyline. I would highly recommend this book.