Set in Dagenham, East London, readers first meet Violet and it has a sinister start with Violet, a cafe worker, being followed. It immediately sets an unease, with the way it is written. There is also Fred, who is vying for her attention. There is some dialect such as "meself", which really places her. It's not strong and is easy to figure out.

Betsy had married Ernst and it caused quite a stir and now feelings are bubbling to the surface again as he is a German. The story centres a good mix of characters from across the UK and an American.

The plot does move to Cornwall, somewhere near Porthcurno in the south, where there is a hidden army base. It is also where a stubborn teenage boy, Charlie lives there with his parents, Hazel and Bertie, who are married out of convenience. It also demonstrates how unhappy some of those marriages were. It doesn't shy away from the hardships of motherhood and the challenges some people faced, shown through the eyes of Hazel. Charlie, being a teen also goes to show that even as the decades pass in real life, some things never change or evolve and parents and teachers will certainly be able to relate to his mannerisms and attitude.

The changing scenery when the war began is quite a feature as does the change in life and the meaning of signing an official secrets act as Hazel takes on a top secret job. There is a sense of urgency and upmost responsibility and beyond that spikes through the pages with these top secret job involving codes and so much more and the threat of what could happen if anyone divulges the secrets. It gives a harsh reality.

It'll take readers on an interesting, windy path with a tense, serious atmosphere of duty and family as the war closes in and the realities emerge and are pretty hard-hitting, cut by the friendship of the women that smudges through, bringing a bit of light relief and a sense them being in it together.
It certainly isn't a cosy book, but one of a believable plotline that doesn't sugar-coat anything, and instead, shows anguish and the sacrifices people made, including in their daily lives and how they had a certain resilience and also got on with the job. There is also a touch of romance in the air as well as a bit of desperation for a different life, away from domestic violence, portrayed in Hazel, but also a panic that is captured so well, in what the consequences of the betrayal of her husband and what her son will say and do, which adds to the intensity that grows throughout.

A brilliant war time saga set in Cornwall, set in the listening post above the secure wireless cables to America. Three women come together to work at the base and band together to organise a dance for the employees. A great story with very believable characters, you soon become embroiled in their lives.

Wartime with the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker is the beginning of The Cornish Girls series. This is a charming story about three women who become friends and how they help each other get through the World War II. I thought this historical novel was well-written with developed characters. Hazel Baxter, Violet Hopkins, and Eva Ryder each have their own story. These three women come from different backgrounds, but they soon find they have a lot in common. Violet Hopkins is escaping the East End with her two nieces after the death of her sister. She does not want them to be scared that a bomb could drop and kill them at any minute. Eva Ryder is a party girl who ran away from her Uncle Teddy in London. After a bomb lands on the nightclub where she was dancing, Eva ends up in the hospital. She gets sent to her father, Colonel Ryder in Cornwall. Hazel Baxter works at Eastern House at the top secret Porthcurno military base. Her husband is off fighting the war and her teenage son, Charlie is eager to enlist. The three women all end up on Porthcurno where they come together to plan a dance which will raise morale and funds for the local church. We follow the ladies’ lives, the war, and what is happening at this secret listening station. It was interesting learning about this base in Cornwall. I found it fascinating and ended up looking it up online (there is a museum there now). The author provided good descriptions of Cornwall and captured the time-period. I enjoyed the British slang. Wartime with the Cornish Girls is a touching story (would make a great PBS series). I am looking forward to reading Christmas with the Cornish Girls when it comes out. Wartime with the Cornish Girls is an engaging historical tale about friendship, bravery, and overcoming adversity.

Wartime with the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker the first in the feel-good new Cornish Girls series. What can I say other than I loved it and read in a day.

1941. The Blitz rages over London.
And even in Cornwall, the war is being fought…

The story follows the lives of three women who end up together in the Cornish town of Porthcurno where a top secret military base is running during WW2. Growing up my gran and mum told us stories about the rationing, air raids over london and my mum being sent out to the country to be safe, because of this I was attracted to this book.

I found the characters to be well developed, and multi-dimensional. There were multiple sub-plots to keep you engaged and interested in the outcome.

I will definitely read other books by this author, i am excited to read “Christmas with the Cornish Girls” on November 25, 2021.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Avon Books UK and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A new series...a new series that's likely to keep my interest? Heck, yes!

I may not come from Cornwall, but it's one of my favourite parts of the country to visit. This story added so much more to that part of the country than I ever knew and I can't wait to find out more. Full of characters you will either cheer or wish to put in the stocks, Ms Walker has crafted a story that drew me in and I cannot wait for the next to come out! My thanks to Avon and Netgalley for the reading copy.

I really enjoyed this book! I’m glad it’s the start to a series because I’m so excited to read the next book!
The books very well written and you instantly get hooked on the girls lives and what’s happening to them and how having strength and courage got them through. It was also interesting to read how the war affected Cornwall, the author describes it well enough so that even if you’ve never seen it before, you could picture yourself there.

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who likes historical fiction or wartime books, honestly can’t wait for book 2!

I’d like to thank Betty Walker, Avon Books and NetGalley for providing me with this copy to read and review

Violet decides to take her nieces away from the dangers in Wartime London. After moving in with family she soon realises that she has to move them somewhere safer. After meeting Hazel, she finds work at the nearby Porthcurno military site.
I love books set on the homefront during the war years and found the communication element of this book fascintating.
A lovely book with friendships, wartime hardships, family problems set in a beautiful place, with it's own wartime secrets.

I love reading wartime novels and this is no exception. Great writing, makes you feel as though you are living through those times along with the girls. The details were well looked into as well as the characters, I loved every minute that I spent reading this. I really do recommend you find time to spend with this book and I am giving this 5 stars. Well done Betty.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

This was a very enjoyable story. Some great characters and a storyline which covers a multitude of parts. Really brought the impact of war on the population, both in town and countryside, to life. The conclusion left the option of a follow on, so isn't really finished. I would love to read the next one!

1.5 stars.
It was an alright read but the characters were honestly a bit boring and meh so it was a bit hard to follow because i didn`t care about the characters.

I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. This is a sweet book about friendship between three girls. I did not get to finish it before it was archived but I was enjoying it.

Wartime With the Cornish Girls is set in London and Cornwall in 1941. It's told from three perspectives: there's Hazel, who works on the local base and has a teenage son; Violet, who escapes to Cornwall from London's East End with her two teenage nieces; and Eva, a carefree chorus girl who left London following a close call during the Blitz to work and live on the base her father runs. Their paths naturally intersect on the base and they turn to each other for support.

I'd highly recommend this book to fellow historical fiction fans. I really liked the different WWII setting and the characters - they may have each had different personalities, but they were all resilient. Each character also had their own romantic storyline, which I always appreciate, what can I say! Once I reached the end, I felt like I wanted more finality. That's when I realised this is the first book in a series. I will definitely lookout for the next book about these delightful Cornish Girls.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Wartime With the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker is a World War II story of those left behind. Three women, Violet and Eva from the East End of London, and Hazel from Cornwall, meet in Cornwall and become friends, their lives intertwining and changing for the better. Porthcurno in South Cornwall is the location of a large military communications center, sending and receiving top secret messages around the clock. Eva's father is the commander there and she has been sent to him to keep her out of trouble, after she ran away from her uncle and became a dancer in a bar in London. She was caught in a German bombing attack and her uncle was contacted. Violet lives with her mother and together they run a small cafe. She has two nieces, Lily and Alice, whose mother died in a bombing incident and whose father is missing in action. Violet is anxious to get them out of London to safety from the bombs and from some of their neighbors so they go to her aunt in Porthcurno. It was miserable; they were treated little better than slaves, but they managed, until the day her uncle tried to rape Lily. Instead of supporting Lily, her aunt stood with her husband, and kicked them out. Violet had me Hazel a few days earlier and decided to go to her for help.

This is a complicated story, as peoples' lives tend to get. It certainly held my attention as one thing after another happened to each of them. Stories of those left behind are not nearly as common as Holocaust or battle stories. This is definitely women's fiction as these woman struggle to keep their loves afloat. It was well though out and interesting. The characters are sympathetic and in need of love and support. They appear to be on their way to finding it. It is homey and gives the reader an idea of what life was like for many during this horrid war. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Wartime With the Cornish Girls by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #wartimewiththecornishgirls

Thank you, Netgalley and Avon Books UK for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wartime With The Cornish Girls by Betty Walker is a heartwarming and uplifting historical fiction that centers around three women who come together through certain events in their lives. Germany is bombing London and during the 1940s a war is being fought even in the rural areas. Violet has lost her sister to one of the bombings and her brother-in-law is MIA. She does not want her nieces to be in danger and so she takes them to Cornwall to Violet’s aunt’s farm. Hazel is working at a secret military base in Porthcurno trying to keep her home together while her son is acting out because of the absence of his father. Eva a young girl, the daughter of the Captain flees her uncle’s home to become a dancer and then is forced to return to Porthcurno after a lucky escape from death. The three women meet and their lives get tangled together in ways they do not expect.

This is a sweet story that is women-centric with wonderfully written characters leading the story forward. We get to see the progression of the plot through all the three women and get to know them very closely. All three of them offer their contributions to the army in their way supporting the military effort. They work very hard and tries their hardest to hold onto any positivity they could find. It tells the story of a family, a second-chance love, slow-developing friendships, and a wonderful and supportive group of women who had each other’s backs all through the story.

Each woman had their own storyline and they were wrapped pretty satisfactorily for two of them and the open ending for one of the characters was not my favorite. I like having a happy ending for the characters and so when I didn’t get it for the part, it was a bit disappointing. This is just a personal opinion. I would have also loved to see an epilogue with all of them together sometime in the future. I am sure there is a possibility of that as this is the first book in the series.

Overall, this is a story for people who enjoy light-hearted heartwarming historical fiction with themes of friendship, love, and a small mystery added into the mix. I enjoyed the book and am giving it 3.75 stars. I think everyone should check it out.

Several women's lives become linked during World War II in Cornwall. Hazel is lifelong resident, trying to earn some extra money doing warwork while her alcoholic, abusive husband is off fighting.

After being injured in a London bombing, Eva retreats to the coast at the demand of her father, a British colonel. Violet has already fled London with her two nieces, Lily and Alice. Although all three women (and two young women) encounter serious difficulties, they learn that friendship can help soften the blows.

Gorgeous setting and engaging characters make this World War II novel a worthwhile read. It's not groundbreaking stuff, but rather a very enjoyable way to spend a few hours. The characters and their stories are memorable. #WartimeWithTheCornishGirls #NetGalley

A beautiful book. I definitely went into this book seeing the mindblowing cover. Its indeed a pleasure to read such new fiction from time to time. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this book.

World War II fiction that takes place in England? I’m so in! In the last year or so I’ve figured out that I absolutely LOVE historical fiction, particularly those that take place during or around WWII. There’s so much to learn about in historical fiction novels!

Wartime with the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker is about three gals who come from different areas of England and all happen to end up at Cornwall in the middle of the war. Hazel is a Cornwall resident, Victoria relocates there with her two nieces, and Eva is the colonel’s daughter who is dragged from London to be with her father where he can keep an eye on her. These three have different stories, but all seem to come together in wartime friendship.

Each woman has her own issues to deal with, yet takes time to help the others. They all work together to plan a dance to benefit the nearby church when they aren’t busy working. England during this time is black out at night so that the German Jerries cannot find the homes and buildings. This doesn’t stop them from swinging through at dusk, though.

While each woman also has her eyes on a certain gent, it’s not necessarily proper for some and potentially sabotaged for others. Getting to know the characters in this book has been an enjoyable experience! I feel like these women are my friends and I want to see them all have happy endings! As this is the first book of The Cornish Girls series, I will have a chance to read what happens next!

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for providing an amazing read! I give Wartime with the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker 5 out of 5 tiaras because I was totally blown away! I am so invested in these women that I must read the next book!

Thanks to Avon Books UK for the Wartime Girls with the Cornish GIrls.

I really like WWII domestic fiction and this was a great book about 3 women as they try to survive after they flee London during the Blitz. They meet when they all start working for the war effort.

This was a great story on friendship, family and adversity.

This one did not do it for me at all sadly. I really didn’t like the main character so struggled to relate to or empathise with her. Ended up not even finishing it

Wartime With The Cornish Girls is the first book in The Cornish Girls by Betty Walker.   A captivating story that I couldn't put down. The setting in Cornwall and the descriptive writing were beautiful.