I liked this book on the whole. I haven't read the earlier books in the series, but this story can be read as a standalone. I found learning about Molly's work in the munitions factory interesting, and I'm always drawn to a book which involves a bookshop! I liked Molly's character too, I felt there could have been more depth to Molly's friends, Victoria and Alice, and her romantic interest, Andrew, was somewhat annoying just turning up the way he did. Plus the way Andrew and Molly's dad talked about her as though she wasn't in the room was annoying, but perhaps that's the way things were back then. The way Molly and her parents and her gran interacted was a little twee - sickly sweet I thought at times, but maybe I'm a cynic. All in all a good read.

The Foyle girls at war is the second book in the series, set around Foyles bookstore. Alice, Victoria and Molly all work at the bookstore and best of friends. They love their work at the store but, Molly wants to do more for the war effort so, she leaves Foyles and goes to work in a munitions factory. But, at first the girls don’t take to her. They think she is to posh to work in a factory. Her only allies are Andrew Greenwood the boss of the factory. As their relationship get a bit friendlier the girls think she may be a grass, But, after Molly offers to help Grace the relationship, between the rest of the girls gets better,
I have read the first book in the series, which I really enjoyed, so I was looking forward to this. The story continued mainly about Molly, who is the more confident and the chatty one of the three. I thought how well researched the author has written about the work in the munitions factory and dangerous the work was in those times. How much the women sacrificed while the men went to war. I don’t want to tell you anymore because I will spoil it. But this was another lovely story of love and hardship in the war and it’s well worth the read.
Thank you NetGalley and Aria for a copy of this book.

I love the story of friendship and love. Wartime stories always are a great read. I love the Girls!
I have not read book #1 in the series, but that does not take away from the enjoyment!
Thank you NetGalley!

A FABULOUS cosy treat of a book set during war time can highly recommend this book going to read first one now

If you love books set in WWI or Downton Abbey, this is the book for you. Great, sweet read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.

This was a great book. I found it very hard to put down. I loved following the lives of Alice, Victoria and especially Molly ho worked together in Foyles bookshop. The three friends stuck together through thick and thin during what was a very difficult time during the First World war. Elaine Roberts is a new author to me and I will certainly be looking out for her other titles. Great read.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. What a great story of friendship, love and hope during WW1. I am going to go back and read the first book in the series.

Enjoyed this next installment just as much as the first, great characters and a bit of excitement, hope there will be more in this series.

I originally thought this was the first instalment of the Foyles Bookshop girls series, but I was incorrect and this is book 2. But the book can be read as a stand alone as most characters history to each other is explained through the story.

The stories main character is Molly, who at the start of the book leaves Foyles Bookshop to go and work as one of the canaries in a munitions factory, so the story isn’t really situated in the bookshop.

The story describes the trials and tribulations of WW1 in 1916 London and how it effected all the people no matter who or where they came from, and the hardships people had to suffer.

The story was an easy read but personally I found the story felt like it was lacking some depth in the characters.

I am a huge historical fiction fan....love books set in England during wartime.....even better when its part of a continuing series of books.
This is the first time reading Elaine Roberts work, unfortunately this book just didn’t pull me in like many of the other authors I enjoy from this genre.
That being said I didn’t realize going into this book that it was part 2 of the Bookshop series, I would have liked to read the first instalment to be able to make a fair assessment.
Thank you netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Although I had read the first book in this series it took me a little while to get to know the main characters and the bookstore again, especially as one of them, Molly, was leaving Foyle's to start her war work. Elaine Roberts has done a good job describing the munitions factory ( does it really need an apostrophe after the s?), it's staff and routines, something I knew nothing about before. Her descriptions of London as Molly cycles or walks through its streets are excellent, bringing all the sights and sounds of a century ago to life. The romance element of the book I found less convincing. For a self confessed talker and one who jumps in without thinking first, Molly worries too much and hesitates too long, allowing her misconceptions to hold her back. She is comfortable enough in his company to kiss her boss Andrew passionately in a public park, yet not enough to simply ask him about the woman she has seen him with or about why he has not gone off to fight. These obstacles in the way of a happy ending felt a little laboured and her loyalty to lovesick work colleague Grace's hurt feelings seem unlikely when the woman has never had any sort of relationship with Andrew and is so horrible to Molly. Nevertheless I enjoyed the book, especially its dramatic bombing and hospital scenes. A little more editing to remove repetitions and iron out inconsistencies would have been beneficial. Molly cries or sheds a single tear or holds back unspent tears so many times, and if heels clipped floors once they must have done so at least twenty times! And what happened to the note Molly left for her parents the first day she set off for the factory? Was it never found? We are not told, but weeks later they still had no idea she had a new job.
Generally a good read, depicting the worries of wartime life for those left at home, especially the women, and very timely as World War One is so much in people's thoughts right now.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series and did a happy dance when I saw there were going to be further books. This story gives us the chance to get to know Molly the headstrong member of the trio of girls and her family.

With the war continuing to rage around them Molly feels that she needs to do more for the war efforts and against the advice of Alice and Victoria this book see's her leaving the safety of The Foyles Bookshop and swapping it for overalls in the munitions factory.

This was a brilliant addition to this lovely heartwarming series, a story of how friendships and events that happened during wartime tied families and friends even closer together and a demonstration of how communities pulled together to help eachother with the constant threat of loss hanging over everyones heads.

I became so lost in this story that I was disappointed that I had reached the end and I can't wait to be able to revisit the lovely girls at Foyles Bookshop in the third and final book of the series.

This novel is part of a trilogy and although not completely necessary for a reader, I did read the first to catch up on the back story as to why the three main characters - Molly Alice and Victoria meet and work at the famous Foyle's Bookshop in London and to why Molly's past relationship with Tony is mentioned many times in the plot.
The first book was set in 1914 as WWI begins and obviously this lends tension to being set in London as the German raids begin and all the men are sent to war - one that doesn't end by the first Christmas - and to the role women played in filling their jobs as the conflict continues.
In this second book the three friends are once again found at Foyle's bookshop but headstrong Molly is doubting her use selling books when there seems to be a need to step up and join in with the war effort.
When she decides to start a job at a munitions factory on the other side of the river, not only must she adjust to the physical hardships of this new workplace but she will find her previous views and grief come up to collide with reality.
There is a different sort of work colleague on the factory floor where the 'canary girls' as they were known because of working with the sulphur in making the bombs which over time discolours their skin, Molly meets her new boss Mr Greenwood with whom she feels a definite bond, but which after her last romance she wants to ignore.
Good characterisation and descriptions of the life in London during the later years of WWI are excellent. I liked the backdrop of Molly's family and the other stories which link to women's suffrage, domestic violence and the hardships of life in London.
I now live near at site in Nottinghamshire where a munitions factory similar to that in the book exploded with major fatalities so I felt engaged to read about a similar account (see also the book 'Night Raid' by Clare Harvey for a link to such events)
The last of the trilogy about the three girls is due out in summer 2019 and having found myself caught up in the lives, loves and world of Molly and her friends I'll be keen to keep in touch with this story.

A lovely series a wonderful English saga .Want to visit Foyles bookstore .Thevwomen in this book are strong being a munitions worker very different from working in a lovely bookstore.Part twofold this wonderful series can be read alone already looking forward to part three #netgalley#aria

I  have to admit that one of the places that I intend to visit when I visit London is Foyles and particularly their flagship store at Charing Cross. London-based booktubers describe it as a bibliophile’s wonderland.  Hence it was one of the reasons that I was immediately drawn to this book.  Also, the fact that it was set in the 1910s at the height of WWI. I can't complete this introductory paragraph without failing to mention that it has a beautiful cover.

The book centres on the struggle for women during this time as they were keen to hold things together so that their boys would have homes to come back to. Set in the background of the suffragette movement, we find more women were taking up more of the “men’s jobs” like Alice being an ambulance driver and others working in ammunitions factory despite them being manly and dangerous jobs. It also seems that the Foyles Bookshop girls were dealing with personal struggles in the micro sense like heartbreak, losses and their own identity.

By and large, I loved Ms Roberts writing style.  As a person who unintentionally reads primarily American fiction, this book provided a warm welcome with a touch of British slang and humour. Readers will be able to empathise with the female characters as they come to terms with the societal shifts at the turn of the 20th century.   The only thing that I would critique about this book would be the slightly rushed romance between the main protagonist and her love interest.

Since this is the book is part of The Foyles Girls Series, I will be looking forward to reading the next instalment Christmas at the Foyles  Bookshop

2.5 stars

When I requested this book on NetGalley, I didn't realize it was part of a series. However, I think this could be read as a standalone.

I love books, so I was pulled in by the mention of a bookshop. However, I found this book to just be all right. Nothing overly spectacular about it, though the topic (a woman working in a munitions factory) was somewhat unique. I've only read one other book with a similar topic. I doubt I'll check out the other books in the series.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn't required to leave a positive review.

The first book in this series was amazing and I had high hopes for the next two. I usually don’t like to read “series” books because of the anticipation only to get let down when the next in the series comes out and isn’t as good. I didn’t love this book like the first but it was a nice easy read. Not sure if i will read the last of The Foyles Bookshop Girls. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.