I absolutely loved this book!!

It is the perfect winter read and I think it would be perfect to read over the Christmas period. The author has a really lovely writing style and she has a natural ability to bring everything to life.

I love the setting and the period of time that the book is set is great. I love books set during the Great War. There are a lot of fiction books set during WWII and this has been such a treat to be able to follow the Foyles Girls. They are lovely characters to follow and I found them to be very well developed too. The author set the book at just the right pace for me too.

It is 4.5 stars from me for this one, rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads and Amazon - I thought it was another excellent book from this author and a fabulous way to end the trilogy – it is a lovely festive read – very highly recommended!!

Thank you Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

I had hoped that the character development would move on in this book as I thought they were very interesting and humourous in the last book but, alas no. Not much happened in this book and, unlike some Christmas novels, it did not give me that kind of warm feeling that others have done. I think I may be done with this series of books after this one.

First sentence: Victoria Appleton’s slender fingers clutched the brown envelope in her coat pocket, while the other hand gripped the wooden handle of her black umbrella.

Premise/plot: This historical holiday-themed romance has a light and breezy feel to it despite its world war one setting. Readers should know from the start that it is the third book in a series. The Foyles Bookshop Girls, The Foyles Bookshop Girls At War and then Christmas at the Foyles Bookshop. There is a cast of characters that I'm guessing appear in all the books. The three "main" characters are Victoria, Molly, and Alice. Molly and Alice are married and engaged or engaged and married. One is married with one child and another on the way. The other is engaged and very soon to be married. By the end of the book, she's married. Sadly, I can't really remember which is which.

Victoria, the primary main character, is going through her parents' belongings (after seven years of waiting for no particular reason), volunteering at a local hospital for wounded/recovering soldiers, missing her one-true-love that stopped writing her ages ago, and enjoying her new responsibilities at the bookshop.

The book focuses on the daily lives of the characters. Very little "big" happenings occur. Many, many "teeny-tiny" ones do. For some readers, this means NOTHING happens. But not all readers, perhaps. Sometimes you go on journeys WITH the characters as company.

My thoughts: I didn't mind the slow pacing. I didn't. What I minded a little more was the constant changing focus. I'm not sure you'd say this one has multiple point of view characters. But I'm not sure you wouldn't couldn't say that. It was a bit of a guess at any time WHO the focus would be on and why. This being the third book in the series there wasn't much attachment to any of the characters, especially at the beginning. If I had read the previous two books, I imagine that I would CARE from page one and be instantly drawn into the story. I saw the plot twist coming from miles and miles away. I think any reader could. The book lacks all subtlety there. But even so, I won't spoil the book here in the review. It takes the characters in the book a couple of hundred pages to know what readers essentially know from the first few chapters.

I liked the focus on daily life. I liked the small details, the small things that make life, LIFE. If I had access to the previous two books via library, I would definitely read those and catch up on their lives.

I love this series, the girls friendship is great. Always such a heartwarming read, hope to read more in this series.

I love the Foyles girls series and Christmas at the Foyles Bookshop is a great addition to the series. Loved it!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Christmas at the Foyles Bookshop is a wonderful and entertaining book. The characters are well developed and the storyline is entertaining.

I love Ms. Roberts books. This is such a good series. The time and place are described in such detail you feel like you lived it. Characters are well-developed and the friendship they have is very touching. A great book!

This was an enjoyable book to read. It was interesting and kept me reading on to find out what happened. The three main characters were funny, kind and supportive of one another. There was sadness but I was pleased it had a happy ending.

This is the third book in the "Foyles bookshop" trilogy, and we rejoin Victoria, Molly and Alice in 1917. As the third book in the trilogy, I am not sure how easy it would be to jump straight in with this one as there is a lot of background in the previous books that is relevant, but I am sure that you would still find the characters relateable. Like in the previous books, life in wartime London has its ups & downs but there is nothing that a pot of tea & three slices of the finest chocolate cake cannot solve!
I am not sure how accurate it is historically - would pregnant women be working in a bookshop so late into their pregnancy? but it is certainly a book that is enjoyable. It kept me wanting to read to the very last page & whilst the ending was not quite as strong as I would have liked, it was perfect for a Christmas book.
(It's also left open for a sequel ... could we maybe catch up with them again 5 years down the line?)

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I throughly enjoyed this third book in the Foyles book shop trilogy. I loved catching up with best friends Victoria, Molly and Alice. This third book is set in 1917 just before Christmas. The way the book is written you feel drawn into the lives of the three best friends as they struggle to get on with their lives in the middle of the war. It takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions as they deal with happy and sad occasions during this difficult time. I enjoyed every book in this series and highly recommended them if you enjoy this genre. It’s a shame to finally be saying goodbye to them all.

A beautifully written saga that tugs at the heartstrings and will have readers reaching for their tissues, Elaine Roberts’ latest novel, Christmas at the Foyles Bookshop is a powerfully told tale that is perfect for losing oneself into on a cold autumn afternoon.

Victoria has known her fair share of heartache and misery. After the tragic death of her parents in an accident, Victoria had worked her fingers to the bone and made one sacrifice after the other to ensure that she kept her siblings safe, off the streets and fed and clothed. Life has dealt her one disappointment after another yet she has soldiered on and not let anyone or anything stand in her way. Things had begun to look up for Victoria when she got a job working at Foyles bookshop with her best friends. For the first time in ages, Victoria felt as if she had somewhere where she could truly be happy. But happiness looked set to be transient once again when war was declared putting the Foyles girls and their loved ones in jeopardy.

Every day in London is fraught with fear and danger – and as if that wasn’t enough for Victoria, she also has her brother to worry about who is fighting on the front line and doing his duty for king and country. Victoria knows that she simply cannot sit by and let everyone else do the hard work. She wants to pitch in and do something to help the war effort, so she decides to volunteer at Endell Street Military Hospital, where she spends her free time with injured soldiers. Offering comfort to servicemen who have seen all manner of atrocities in the name of war is the least Victoria can do. But she soon realises that her volunteering is giving her far more than she had originally thought as she begins to reap rewards she had never previously imagined.

As old secrets are revealed and a love is lost and found, Victoria wonders whether her dearest wish will come true this yuletide: for her family and friends to be safe this Christmas.

A splendid saga from an immensely talented writer who brings wartime London to vivid and colourful life, Christmas at the Foyles Bookshop is a stellar read that will bring a tear to even the most jaded and cynical of eyes. Elaine Roberts is a talented author who has written a heart-warming, uplifting and powerful saga sure to keep readers turning the pages.

With terrific characters, drama, romance, humour and pathos, saga fans will not want to miss Christmas at the Foyles Bookshop.

It has been my distinct pleasure to have read and reviewed the first two of the three books in ‘The Foyles Bookshop’ series. I couldn’t wait to get hold of a copy of the third book in the trilogy. Well ladies and gents, the wait is over because the third book in the trilogy called ‘Christmas At The Foyles Bookshop’ was released on 10th October 2019. Oh my word it is a fantastic conclusion to what has been a fabulous series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Christmas At The Foyles Bookshop’ but more about that in a bit.
I absolutely adored the characters in ‘Christmas At The Foyles Bookshop’. The main focus of the story is on Victoria, who works at Foyles. Victoria is determined to do her bit for the war effort. She decides that the best way to do this would be to volunteer at the local hospital to talk to, to visit or to read to the wounded service personnel that are currently on the wards. I really felt for Victoria because she lost both of her parents in the most horrific of circumstances as they died in an accident. Not only that but Victoria’s brother is currently fighting overseas and she is understandably terribly worried about him. I think that she is trying to keep herself so busy that she won’t have much, if any, time to worry about him. She does have a good support network consisting of the girls she works with at Foyles. Two of them in particular are her best friends and the relationship between the three is more like that of siblings rather than friends. Victoria does take to her volunteer work at the hospital and working there changes her life in more ways than she could ever have imagined. I was just keeping everything crossed that Victoria would get the happy ever after ended that she so deserved and that her brother would return from overseas. Does that happen? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my word. I really cannot put into words how much I enjoyed reading this book but I will try. As soon as I began to read the book, I felt as though I had been reunited with old friends in the form of the staff of Foyles. I just knew that I wouldn’t be able to put the book to one side. That is exactly what happened. The book wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I didn’t want to miss a single second of the story. The book had developed a hold over me that I didn’t want to break. I tried to ration how much I read in one go so I could prolong my enjoyment of the story but my attempt at rationing failed because I was enjoying the story so much that I couldn’t stop reading. The pages turned over increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out how the story concluded steadily grew and grew. Before I knew what was happening I reached the end of the book and therefore the end of the trilogy which I was so disappointed about. I wasn’t disappointed with how the story ended but I was enjoying the characters, the storylines and the author’s writing style so much that I just wanted the book to continue on and on. I guess that I didn’t want to say goodbye to the staff at Foyles.
‘Christmas At The Foyles Bookshop’ is brilliantly written but then I wouldn’t expect anything else from the brilliantly talented Elaine Roberts. Elaine has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. She draws you into the story from the first word onwards and once she has your attention she won’t let it go until you read the last word on the last page. Elaine writes movingly and compassionately. She clearly cares about her characters and what happens to them, which shines through in the quality of her writing. Elaine uses such powerful and vivid descriptions that I actually felt as though I was part of the story myself. In fact I ended up rather jealous of those who worked at Foyles as they work in my ideal workplace- a bookshop.
In short, Elaine Roberts has done it again and she has written one heck of a brilliant book, which had me gripped throughout. I would definitely recommend Elaine and her books to other readers. I can’t wait to read more of Elaine’s work in the future. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

A marvellous third instalment in what is a captivating series about the trials and triumphs of domestic life during the Great War.

As we meet up again with Victoria, Alice and Molly all three girls are doing their best to not only do their very best at work in Foyles Bookshop but also do as much as they can to assist in the war effort. It's great to be re-acquainted with all the wonderful characters and find out how things have moved on for each of them.

With lots happening and new issues arising, this is another fabulous read in a beguiling and engrossing series. There are certainly some surprises along the way adding to the story and the entertainment. I love the authenticity of all the wartime details - not that I was there, you understand - but I've certainly read a lot about this period in history but have never encountered a bookstore-based tale before. The characters are all beautifully drawn and varied; the story is, as always from this author, well-written and easy to focus on .. I was quite surprised when I reached the final page, I was enjoying it so much! A very appealing novel which I raced through, and absolutely worth a full five stars!

My thanks to publisher Aria for my copy via NetGalley and to Vicky Joss for my spot on the tour; this is my honest, original and unbiased review.

Christmas at Foyles Bookshop by Elaine Roberts is the third tale in The Foyles Girls series, and I recommend that you read the series in order. It will allow you to understand the characters and their relationships. I thought Christmas at Foyles Bookshop was well-written with developed characters. I could not wait to find out what is happening with Alice, Victoria and Molly. They have been through so much and they face obstacles together. These three friends consider themselves the three musketeers. They are there for each other in the good times and the bad. I like how all three ladies love books and enjoy working among them each day. Christmas at Foyles Bookshop focuses on Victoria and her family. Molly and Alice are present (of course) along with Mr. Leadbetter, the floor manager at Foyles. I was surprised by the story which is a good thing. There is so much going on (I do not want to spoil it for you) that you will stay up quickly devouring the story. I thought the author captured the time period with the bombings, what the men are suffering at the front, the women worried about the loved ones off fighting, the wounded veterans needing assistance, the wounded pouring into London’s hospitals that are lacking staff and supplies, and what the wounded soldiers are suffering. Victoria volunteers at Endell Street Military Hospital where she witnesses the wounded soldiers suffering. The descriptions are not gory or off-putting. Christmas at Foyles Bookshop is a satisfying story of love, perseverance, family and friendship.

This is book #3 in the Foyles Girls series. I would recommend reading the series in order, but this book can be read as a standalone also. We are back at the Foyles Bookshop. It’s now 1917 and war is still raging across Europe. Christmas will soon be upon them, and all the girls working in the bookshop want is their men home safe and sound. This book in the series continues the stories of Alice, Molly and Victoria and how they carry with life despite all the obstacles that get put in their way.

I’ve yet to read the previous two books of the series, but I got into the story of the Foyles girls really easily despite not knowing the characters and the past. I loved the idea of the iconic bookstore and could just imagine it nestled in the bustling streets of wartime London. There are so many books set during the Second World War, so it was a refreshing change for a wartime read to be earlier during the First World War instead. It felt so much different set in this time frame and whilst there were still the ravages of war, the hardships seen during World War II didn’t seem as prominent. I loved how the bookshop always seemed to have plenty of customers, showing that perhaps there was still disposable money available for such ‘luxuries’ as books!

The characters are all really likeable and you get hooked into their storylines straight away! The book focusses mainly around one character, Victoria and how she begins to come to terms with her parents death six years previously. I love her relationship with her friends and you can see that there is a genuine love between the three of them. All of the characters get a look in with the storyline though, and you get to find out so much more about them. The author has written it so well that you feel like you are travelling the characters journey with them.

Full of family and friendship, this book also has more than its fair share tragedy and sadness. There are instances of grief, loss and suffering, which inevitably comes with war. There are also more happier times for the friends and this book is uplifting and heart-warming not just for the Foyles girls but also the reader! Would definitely recommend!

I loved the title of the book and looked forward to a Christmas read and lots of bookshop plot settings. Foyles did feature and it was an interesting insight into the old shop, but Christmas only at the very end. I did not know it was the last of a trilogy and so maybe that is why I felt there were gaps in the story. However, it also felt as if it had been originally written in instalments, with a fair amount of repetition.

I enjoyed the story and was interested in the characters, setting and plot, but it did not grip me. Too many convenient placements/ coincidence and change of hearts. A feel book book and one for curling up in front of a fire with on a cold day, but not one I will read again.

This is a heartwarming family saga with engaging characters, interesting details about working in a bookshop during the Great War, and a touch of romance. Elaine Roberts captures the atmosphere of wartime London well, although she sometimes has the characters use jarring modern expressions. Unfortunately, this is really the kind of book which should be read as a paperback - Kindle didn't suit it, I thought.

This is really the story of Victoria who is struggling with getting over her parent's death and not hearing from her boyfriend Ted, a soldier in the war. Luckily, Victoria has her sisters and good friends to help her, but when they assist her to finally clean out her parent's bedroom, she discovers a family mystery which may be more than even she can cope with...

I really enjoyed this story of love and friendship. This is the last one in a trilogy, so I am anxious to read the rest now!

A moving story of love and friendship, CHRISTMAS AT THE FOYLES BOOKSHOP by Elaine Roberts is sure to please historical fiction fans everywhere.

This tight-knit bunch of friends return as we get to know more about Alice, Victoria, and Molly's lives during wartime. I had not read the previous books in the series which is something that I intend to rectify but getting to know each of these women and watching their care for each other was a lovely thing to behold. The setting of the bookshop was simply magical and I felt like I was there each time as the author is great at painting a picture and a sense of place for the reader.

It is a story of hope and moving forward but is also true to its time and the harsh realities of war for soldiers and their loved ones are well portrayed and are sure to make you grab for the tissues at times.

CHRISTMAS AT THE FOYLES BOOKSHOP by Elaine Roberts shows the power of friendship and the strength women find in themselves and each other when needs must, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Christmas at the Foyles Bookshop is the third book in a trilogy by Elaine Roberts.

The Foyles Bookshop girls are back. It's nearing Christmas time at Foyles Bookshop near Charing Cross in London and work colleagues and friends Alice, Molly and Victoria are back at work.

I have always loved the atmosphere of the iconic bookshop.

Victoria is the character most focused on in this book. She still hasn't got over her parents' death, 7 years before the events of this novel.

She has the support of her sister Daisy who she in turn looks after and together they get through life any way they can.

Victoria is promoted from being in the payment booth to a floor manager and also volunteers at Endell Street Military Hospital. There, she meets Mabel, a friendly nurse who is very upbeat despite the horrific injuries she often witnesses. The ward they are on is only small, but is a vital care facility for the area as is the hospital in general.

There's plenty of tea and cakes in this book and this is how Molly and her friends catch up and gossip.

Molly is back after an accident in the munitions factory she worked in for awhile and her friends are overjoyed to see her.

Apart from the weather and the book title and cover image, there's not much "Christmas" in this book until near the end.

I was hooked by the basement scenes and I too felt the friends' nervousness at being in such a place, but at the same time it felt to me like a real treasure trove with all those books!

I felt for Victoria and Daisy as they went through their parents' things.

Elaine Roberts has written an interesting final novel in the Foyles Girls series and one thing can be certain: Molly Victoria and Alice can always be counted on to be supportive towards each other whatever happens.

Christmas at the Foyles Bookshop is a quick, feel-good book set in World War 1 and is about the power of true friends despite huge adversities. There's love here too as Molly has a boyfriend. Passion for work despite an intimidating and formidable boss and trying to see happiness in life despite the war.

Thanks to Elaine Roberts and Aria for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I'm glad to have reviewed all 3 books in the series and also been on the blog tours.

3,5 stars.

Thanks to Aria and NetGalley for a copy of Christmas at the Foyles bookshop. I have read the previous books in the series and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one.
The story continues between Alice, Victoria and Molly. Molly has returned to work back at Foyles Book shop. The girls are together again, and their friendship is even stronger. The war is still on and the girls are still trying to make the best of the situation. Alice is pregnant with her second child; Victoria finds that she has an extended family and Molly is got over her incident at the Munitions factory and has a boyfriend and don’t forget Foyle’s owner Mr Leadbetter.
This is another great page turner about the Foyle’s bookstore, the people that work there and the extended families. The story draws you in from the very first page. The author cleverly writes this story that makes you feel like your with them on their journey. This story is full of love, sadness and hope but, with friends it gets a little easier to get though the tough times. Like the others in the series. I loved this one too. It is greatly researched and gave me warm feeling after reading it. I can’t wait for me books from this author. 5 stars from me.