Mrs. Porter Calling is the third novel in the Emmy Lake Chronicles by A.J. Pearce. Set in Central London, in 1943, Emmy Lake and her best friend Bunty share a home in Pimlico and are still volunteering at the local fire station as telephonists. On staff at Woman’s Friend magazine, Emmy responds to letters for her popular advice column, Yours Cheerfully, with compassionate, helpful ideas. When Mrs. Porter arrives on the scene as the new owner and publisher, the daily lives and schedules of the staff go rather sideways. Pearce compares time with Mrs. Porter to working with a Lancaster bomber in a hat, and as Mrs. Porter aptly put it herself, “Meetings are not my thing.” Mrs. Porter wreaks havoc on Woman’s Friend, sending the magazine circulation into a downward spiral.
A.J. Pearce develops the plot through quirky, witty characters, who become a close-knit team as they pull together to save Woman’s Friend and outwit Mrs. Porter. Columns such as What’s in the Hot Pot and On Duty for Beauty add ingenious ideas and giggly humor for readers along with columnist Pamela Pye’s penchant for French. Back at home, Emmy and Bunty are trying to “Stay Calm and Carry On” in true British fashion. The men in their lives are at war but friends and colleagues from the fire station fill in when needed. The addition of friend Thelma and her three children add to family dynamics of cooking with ration coupons, acquiring pets, and providing unexpected emotional support. Pearce highlights the stamina, patience, and love required of families to endure the war years.
A.J. Pearce chocked Mrs. Porter Calling full of hilarious British humor, iconic pearls of wisdom, and laugh out loud dialogue interspersed with personal and social situations that strike all the emotional chords. This novel is a comfort as Thelma often reminded her children, “You are safe, and you are loved.”

Delightful third installment of the Emmy Lake series. This has the feel of a cozy mystery without the mystery (instead, there's a war on). There are heartbreaking moments, but the cheer and optimism of the cast of characters always carries through. I thought the plot of Mrs. Porter Calling was more compelling than the previous sequel, and "together we can do anything" spirit was exactly what I needed. The first book was still my favorite, but I'd happily spend more time with Emmy again and again.

Mrs. Porter Calling is the third installment in The Emmy Lake Chronicles series by A.J. Pearce. Set in London during WWII, this series follows aspiring journalist, Emmy Lake, as she seeks to do her part for the war effort.

In Mrs. Porter Calling, Emmy is now in charge of writing “Yours Cheerfully” a popular advice column in Women’s Friend magazine. With each column, Emmy seeks to help her readers cope with the increasing challenges they have all faced because of the war. In fact, much of the magazine is dedicated to helping the average Londoner get by. The readers love that everyone at the magazine is so devoted to their well being, and therefore Woman’s Friend is wildly successful even in such trying times. That is, until Mrs. Porter arrives on the scene.

I have to say that I struggled a little with this book. First, I didn’t realize this was the third book in a series when I requested it, totally my fault for not paying attention, but that meant I didn’t have all the background on Emmy, her husband Charles, and the rest of her friends and coworkers. I was still easily able to follow along and get the gist of all their personalities and relationships and I enjoyed all of the series regulars, especially Emmy and her best friend Bunty, who are both just so plucky and fierce, but I felt like I would have connected even more with them if I had read the first two books.

My biggest struggle though was actually Mrs. Porter. Mrs. Porter is a narcissistic socialite who inherits the magazine. She doesn’t like anything sad or that relates to the war and so she comes in like a wrecking ball, dismantling everything good about the magazine and turning it into a ridiculous vanity project, without care or concern for what the readers want. Now I love a good villain – it’s fun to have a character that you love to hate. The problem with Mrs. Porter is that I didn’t love to hate her. I just hated her and wanted to skip over the scenes she appeared in. She was just too predictable and one dimensional. I wanted her to do something that would surprise me and she unfortunately never did.

That said, what saved the book for me was Emmy and her fellow staff members. They are appalled by Mrs. Porter and make it their mission to save their beloved magazine. I loved watching this crew hatch schemes to try to undermine Mrs. Porter. Those scenes were a lot of fun to read and I found myself cheering them on all the way. I also really enjoyed watching Emmy’s domestic life. Since her husband is away at war and several of her friends are struggling, they all decide to move in together to save on expenses and share their rations. When tragedy strikes, they all come together as a family and it was just beautiful to witness.

Even though I had some issues, I still enjoyed Mrs. Porter Calling and would definitely recommend it to historical fiction fans. I would say to read the first two books in the series before you do though for the best overall reading experience. 3 1/2 stars

This series is such a balm to the soul.

I can't get enough of Emmy Lake & Bunty and the whole crew at Woman's Friend. This installment picks up closely after the second one (my favorite still in the series) ended. Emmy & Bunty have moved in together in Bunty's granny's house. They end up having one of their friends Thelma move into the top floor with her 3 children. Then the magazine that we've come to know and love gets a new owner with Lord Overton's passing, and enter Mrs. Porter. Chaos ensues --

All the antics, heartbreak, and comical tender moments between these characters brings me right into the time and place. Pearce has a knack for writing true to the era and I felt like I was right there in the air raids, and mini zoo that they acquire on behalf of the kids. My heart broke as war time news spreads and as these characters try to do whatever it takes to get their magazine back. Small Winston was a huge favorite for his ability to ankle bite and his little stature. I could just picture him.

4 Delightful Stars

I am still really enjoying this series, now in a third installation. It’s wonderful to really get to know a set of characters and to have a slower pace with a story.

We are still firmly into WWII London in this one. Emmy Lake is entrenched at Woman’s Friend magazine, answering readers’ questions and offering advice during difficult times. She’s got a great group of friends at the magazine and outside, including Bunty and Thelma and her adorable children.

That’s all about to change when there’s a new owner of the magazine, Mrs. Porter. She’s a society queen and thinks the magazine is all wrong. As she goes about changing things, Emmy is worried for all the magazine readers as she can’t print and answer their questions. The fate of the magazine hangs in the balance.

There are some heartbreaking parts of this story, but I absolutely loved how it ended. I can’t wait for the next installment to be reunited with Emmy and I do Fervently Hope that Charles makes it through the war.

Set against the backgroung of WWII London, the main characters revolve around a young war wife who is giving advice in a women's magazine that enjoys a dedictaed following of women just like herself. When the magazine is sold to an upper class rich woman, she makes it known that she intends to change the format of the magazine to draw more readers like herself. But this woman must reconcile her plans with the current readers or face a backlash of complaints and lost readers.
The book is not your usual WWII story line. It's focus is the women left to manage their homes and families while also living and working in an active war zone and how they will fight to keep the small comforts they have. It is definitely worth your reading time. I'm recommending for our next reading circle.

I love this series with its charming characters and its gentle plots. In the third book of the Emmy Lake Chronicles, the Women's Friend magazine faces its toughest threat -- the truly horrible The Honorable Cressida Porter, who goes by "Egg," is now the owner/publisher of the magazine and wants to turn the publication into a society magazine. Emmy, Guy and the rest of the staff are determined to stop her. Set during 1943, Mrs. Porter Calling uses its WWII London setting beautifully. The war is never far from the characters' lives. If you think this will be just a fluffy series, Pearce does add unexpected but realistic tragedy to her stories. I really think this would make such a wonderful tv series. Read the books in order if possible.

Mrs. Porter Calling is light historical fiction and the third installment of the Emmy Lake Chronicles (can be read as a stand-alone).

Emmy Lake is in charge of Yours Cheerfully, an advice column in Woman’s Friend magazine. Readers love the advice column as they face increasing challenges during wartime. However, a new publisher (Mrs. Porter) wants to change everything. Mrs. Porter fills the pages with expensive clothes and frivolous articles. She also announces the cutting of the Yours Cheerfully column. As readership plummets, Emmy and her friends must find a way to save the magazine that women (and they) love.

Although Mrs. Porter Calling is the third in the series, each can be read as a stand-alone. That said, I also believe that a series is best when read in order! Of the three (Dear Mrs. Bird, Yours Cheerfully, and Mrs. Porter Calling, the second (Yours Cheerfully) is my favorite. I’ve grown to appreciate women on the home front fiction. This series is perfect for readers looking for lighter WWII histfic and stories of women supporting women.

I always appreciate themes of friendship, women supporting women, pulling together during hard times, women on the home front, and chasing your dreams with determination. In this series, the pressure of publishing and print media plays an important role.

There is lots to love about our main character, Emmy Lake. She is devoted to her job, cares deeply for her friends, solves problems, and is a kind and compassionate person. Emmy is determined, smart, forthright, and responsible. You can’t help but love her and cheer her on.

Content Consideration: Although this is an overall light read, there is some difficult content related to wartime (loss of life, bombings).

I recommend the Emmy Lake Chronicles for readers looking for lighter WWII historical fiction and for those who love friendship and women supporting women themes.

Thanks #NetGalley #Scribner @ScribnerBooks for a complimentary e ARC of #MrsPorterCalling upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Such a fascinating look at England during WWII. These books focus on the daily struggle on everyday people during the war and in particular, at a women’s magazine. Emmeline and her friends find a way to cope and thrive despite the threat of bombings and their happy world at Women’s Friend magazine is at risk because the owner has passed. This story could have easily been told from the point of view of Mrs. Porter and she could have been considered the cutting-edge new owner of the magazine instead of the usurper she’s portrayed as in this book. Nevertheless, this was a good story and I hope there are more in the series.

A charming, lighthearted WWII novel? Yes, it’s possible.

In the third book of the Emmy Lake series, we find the young journalist and her co-workers up against a new challenge: A new owner who wants to change everything about the magazine. At home, a friend and her children move in, while Emmy’s husband is away at war.

The author keeps a light touch while covering a time period that was quite difficult for those living it. The characters do face very real challenges, but they also carry on with love and community and compassion for each other.

I’m totally invested in these characters and hope for another installation in this series to come soon.

This is the third installment of the Emmy Lake chronicles. The story opens with Emmy Lake working at Women’s Friend, the news magazine that she has been with, along with the same characters only to find out that Lord Overton, the owner of the magazine has passed away and the new owner is Lord Overton’s niece, Cressida Porter, or Mrs. Porter as she is referred to in the book. Mrs. Porter is an unlikeable character who comes in like a hurricane trying to rattle the status quo, while destroying what the employees and readers know and love about the magazine.. At the same time, the war is continuing and the day to day tragedies of war time are still present. The premise of the story teaches us about resilience, optimism and never giving up. I really enjoyed reading about these characters and how they overcame a challenge during a difficult time, while dealing with a most unappealing character. Thank you to New Galley and Scribner Publishers for an advanced reader copy of this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Scribner for access to this arc.


I was thrilled to get a chance to read this book in advance. Thrilled. Over the moon. Giddy. Alright, I’ll stop now. Chuffed. Happy. Ecstatic. Right, right, stopping now. The previous two books had been such joys to read but I knew that there was still a lot to be written in this series.

We’ve been through ups and downs with Emmy, Bunty, and the staff at the newspaper Woman’s Friend. The staff brought it back from the edge – and unwittingly became minor celebrities among the London journalists for doing so – but now they face their greatest challenge. They’ve dispensed helpful information and tips to their readers about how to make do and carry on. The “Friend to Friend” column has been a sounding board for readers’ hopes for the future “once the world is free.” And in “Your’s Cheerfully,” Emmy has given advice to those who often have nowhere else to turn. When Mrs. Porter’s little ideas begin to turn things on their head, the staff is dismayed and then furious. She might think that glum letters from dreary people are “a bit Mis” and that yet another recipe for potatoes or knitting patterns need to be ditched for a write up on a Society wedding or advice to spend 4 guineas for a frock (4 guineas!) but as boring as Mrs. Porter finds business dealings (a bit Mis) it’s soon obvious that the paper is spiraling and headed for disaster.

Bunty is still a bit raw at the loss of her fiancé Will in a Luftwaffe bombing raid but Emmy susses out that there might be a new male friend in Bunty’s life. Soon Harold is a part of the jolly bunch living in the house and he finds himself a hero to Stan, Marg, and George – Thel’s children. As an engineer (formerly tasked with dealing with unexploded bombs), Harold is a key part of repairing the garden shed for Stan’s hoped for guinea pigs and other assorted creatures. If you need chickens, ask for Scary David or his scary brother but don’t ask too many questions.

Emmy and Guy watch helplessly as Mrs. Porter’s ideas scuttle the paper until Emmy thinks outside the box after which the Wonderful Monica and her source at the Ministry Do Their Part. What Guy and Emmy don’t count on is a rear attack. I was sweating how this would end. I was also waiting for Something Dire as several people near and dear are fighting in various military theaters plus though the Blitz is over, the Luftwaffe still does bombing raids. What happened had me gutted. I cried. I will freely admit that. For a good section of the last third of the story, tears trickled. Emmy’s oft repeated thought, “You are safe and you are loved” got me through. Then just when I thought all hope of a positive outcome for one issue was lost, it was saved and I cheered.

If I have one complaint to lodge, it would be that most of these characters are either very good or very bad. Most of the characters are three dimensional and have layers – even Small Winston – but yeah, good or bad. One big Yes from me though for Stan, Marg, and George who are Definitely Not Plot Moppets. Write the next book please quickly as I need to know what will happen next. A

A.J. Pearce introduced Emmy Lake in Dear Mrs. Bird and I fell in love with her characters. London has been under attack by the Germans for three years as Emmy returns in Mrs.Porter Calling. She works as an advice columnist at a magazine aimed at the average woman who is trying to survive with the men gone to war and rationing at home. When the owner o the publishing firm dies he leaves the magazine to his niece, the Honorable Mrs.Porter. She has been raised with money and lives a life of privilege. When she arrives, she takes the office by storm. She considers the magazine as gloomy and depressing. What it needs is more high fashion and haute cuisine. Emmy’s column would be more cheerful if she covered society weddings instead of trying to solve the problems sent in by the readers. Her letters column will be severely curtailed or eliminated. The staff has been like family and they have to take action if they are going to save the publication.

Porter starts out as a ray of sunshine to the staff. It doesn’t take lone for them to see her for what she really is, egotistical and inexperienced in running a business. It is Emmy’s friend Thelma who comes up with a solution, but a tragedy strikes that may ruin all of their plans. Pearce’s story is filled with both humor and heartbreak. The conversations between staff and Emmy’s roommates stress the importance of their friendship and the support of each other. It is so easy to immerse yourself in the lives of these characters that you will wish that it didn’t end. I would like to thank NetGalley and Scribner Publishing for providing this book for my review.

This is a lovely series, and it's a delight to return to Emmy and Bunty's house as they welcome in their friend Thelma and her children. The realities of the Home Front in Britain during World War II aren't sugar-coated in this series. Keeping fires out, newspapers running and raising children is hard work, made harder by the Blitz. Guy and Emmy and their colleagues are making a success of "Woman's Friend," and feel that they are making a significant contribution to the war effort. Disaster strikes in the person of Cressida Porter, the new owner.

Lovable characters, a rich setting, and an intriguing plot make this a terrific addition to the Emmy Lake series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a joy to connect again with our friends at the Woman's Friend magazine! AJ Pearce has brought to life a delightful and relatable cast of characters in Mrs. Porter Calling. Although this is the third book in the Emmy Lake trilogy, it is able to be enjoyed as a standalone.
Faithful readers will be happy to see how life is progressing for familiar characters, while at the same time being reminded that the horrors of war can change things on a dime.
This book is perfect for fans of books in series, as well as historical fiction that depicts reality without being too gritty.
I was once again impressed by the steadfastness of the community and their push to keep calm and carry on despite multiple setbacks.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for this enjoyable ARC of Mrs. Porter Calling.

The writing in this book was so basic at times I felt it was for children between the ages of 10 to 13. It was very predictable and the character development was minimal.

Mrs. Porter Calling by AJ Pearce
The Emmy Lake Chronicles #3

I just adore this series and the characters in it. They seem like family to me now. With book three of the series things have been going very well with the Woman’s Friend magazine. It's 1943, the war is still going on, and Emmy's husband is still fighting overseas. Emmy's working full time at Woman's Friend, doing what she loves to do most but also she's working shifts at the fire station, too. Emmy's life is so busy, she misses her husband, Charles, terribly, but her life is full and she's helping people, which makes any hardships easier to handle.

Then Mrs. Porter enters the room! She has inherited Woman's Friend and at first she seems so harmless. It looks like she might be a hands off kind of owner, more interested in frivolous things and too lazy and airheaded to cause any changes or problems at the magazine. Afterall, the staff have made the magazine a huge success and nothing needs to be changed. But it turns out that Mrs. Porter is going to remake the magazine into her personal plaything, something very impersonal and quite useless unless you are extremely wealthy. Basically, Mrs. Porter is going to run the magazine into the ground and she cares not at all about its readers and their real life problems or what the staff thinks of the changes.

All of this is bad enough but there is also the loss of war. One of the things I enjoy so much about this story is we never lose sight of the day to day struggle with rationing, worrying about those fighting the war, and also worry about those who are fighting on the home front. There is still bombing and loss of limbs and life even if the bombing isn't happening as often as it was earlier in the war. But at least Emmy and her friends can share a house, gather their resources, and make things better for everyone by sharing their time, possessions, and companionship.

The characters make this story so special whether they are the people that Emmy works with or the people that Emmy lives with. For all the hardship and sadness in the story, it is really very funny. Emmy's got such a great outlook on life and it's almost as if there is a Greek chorus of characters making comments in the background of any scene. Mrs. Porter even comes with her very special dog, Small Winston, a royal grump if there ever was one, and I hope he can somehow make an appearance in future books in the series.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for this ARC.

Women’s Friend is a jolly periodical until it gets a new owner. Mrs Porter, so gushy and nice at first turns out to be a mini dragon obsessed with turning the magazine into a disaster.
What do the employees do? Why fight the dragon and attempt to buy the magazine.
I loved the camaraderie of the employees and the loyalty of the readers who helped however they could.
It’s a light note read about during a very dark period of WWII.
Three cheers for Lady Overton! The old gal had gumption and connections!

I was happy to revisit some of my favorite characters in this third entry in the Emmy Lake series. Our intrepid reporter has new challenges. She is still working at Woman's Friend, missing her military husband who is serving far away, and living with her best friend Bunty. New challenges arise when the publisher of Woman's Friend dies and a dilettante takes over throwing everything into an uproar. While some of this story was predictable, AJ Pearce still manages to surprise me and get me emotional. While much of the story is light and humorous, let's not forget these books take place during World War II in London, and times are not easy. As always, Emmy and her friends rise to the challenge. If there is a fourth book in this series, believe me, I will be reading it.

My thanks to Net Galley and Scribner for an advance copy. My opinions are my own.

This third book in the “Emmy Lake Chronicles” series is just as adorable as the first two! Emmy and her friends work hard to save “Woman’s Friend” (their beloved magazine) from Mrs. Porter (the new owner) who decides that changes are needed. Little does she know who she’s up against!

This episode also shows again how Emmy and her friends work together to help during this dire time during WWII in London. We meet some new friends, three adorable children who almost steal the show, and many old friends from the past who come around to help out in times of need.

This one is entertaining, as well as heartwarming. I almost hated to see it end. But I look forward to future books from A.J. Pearce!

I’d like to thank NetGalley, A.J. Pearce, and Scribner for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.