A new series from this author who takes us behind the scenes at bomber command and gives us an insight into the roles women undertook. A heartwarming,at times heart breaking story.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this well- written and well researched story.

I loved reading about how being a part of Bomber Command helped those involved.

I loved the three main characters, and the supporting characters. I hope we will learn more about them in future books.

I recommend this book.

An enjoyable, well-written and impeccably researched story. I loved the historical details and the insights into how serving in Bomber Command affected those involved, especially as my grandfather was a navigator in Bomber Command during WWII. Greg was a likeable flawed hero and although I didn’t entirely take to Pearl, the characterisation helped me understand what made her the way she was. Jenny and Thea were interesting secondary characters and I hope they will feature in future books. Recommended for anyone who enjoys wholesome WWII romances.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The NetGalley description is accurate. This is an interesting gentle WW2 romance between Pearl, a WAAF radio operator in Bomber Command, and Greg an Australian pilot on, first, Manchesters then Lancasters, bombing German munitions sites and the like. There is plenty of detail of life on the RAF bases - the boredom, the sheer fear, fun and great sadness and some intrigues concerning lost belongings. Pearl grows a lot, at first she was really annoying with her over protective-ness towards her fellow WAAF sister and her attitude to Greg's activities at times. On the top of that there is her involvement in a base newspaper and subsequent success. The lack of support, actively against her, attitudes of the men she worked with in civilian times must have been completely frustrating. Given the author's habit of having three stories set in and around the same background I think we'll be in for a treat here too. Enjoyable read with plenty of thorough research to be able to immerse the reader in the times. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Excellent book with a story and characters that bend so well together I am drawn to this genre as I love strong women and the friendships they form and some last a life time.5*

WW2 Books like this really do bring home the meaning of what our men and women, so many of them so young, went through - and still are, in the terrible war torn countries in the news today. The statistics of the high casualties of WW2 Bomber Crews are listed in the acknowledgments, and make sobering reading.
Yes, it’s a love story, but it doesn’t shirk from the horrors of the time, the constant fear of imminent death that affected their behaviour.
We are plunged straight into the story, which introduces us to Pearl and her ambitions, and I enjoyed reading about the training and skills required by the WAAF’s, along with the draconian rules and expectations of the day, with regard to how women were treated.
The characters are well rounded and believable, and I got thoroughly cross with Pearl! Not giving away any of the storyline though - I urge you to read it for yourself.
Recommended.
Thank you for allowing me to read it.

Vicki Beeby has done it again!

I enjoyed her last two WW2 series about The Ops Room Girls and The Wrens, but I loved the first in this new series about The Girls of Bomber Command.

A poignant subject, Beeby comments in her notes that the RAF Bomber Command had one of the highest casualty rates of any Allied unit during the Second World War and yet the author manages to portray this sensitively in a very enthralling read.

I loved Pearl, who reminded me of myself as she tries to look after her younger sister and tries to find her own place in the world whilst staying true to her aspirations. Greg has to deal daily with the thought that he might not survive the next bombing mission and that colours how he lives his life.

The author’s notes on the research undertaken to inspire and also to make this story authentic were fascinating.

I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

What a great start to a new series! Pearl Cooper joins the WAAF after she tells her sexist boss at the Shrewsbury Mirror what to do with his job when he promotes Philip Meadows purely because he’s male.
After her training period Pearl joins Bomber Command as a radio telephone operator which she loves as she slowly learns to be herself and not worry so much about other, as she was used to having always watched out for her younger sister Thea who is also with the WAAF.
Pearl becomes friendly with room mate Jenny and Greg who is a pilot that she got to know over the radio when he was in difficulty.
Greg suggests they start up a newspaper for the base, so they start by asking for volunteers. The idea for the paper brings out all Pearls old skills from her time working in the trade. When they introduce themselves to Mr Haughton he can see all the enthusiasm Pearl has for the paper, will he help them get off the ground?
As the story progresses Pearl learns that Thea has a lot more to her than she gave her credit for. Thea actually manages to teach Pearl from her own life experiences.
I loved Jenny’s funny way with words.
I never thought death could be described so beautifully as was the case with Max Turner.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I have read other books by this author and loved them so it was lovely to see the start of a new series

And what a wonderful series this is going to be,
I often read books set in WW2 and have found it fascinating to learn how various aspects of the 'war machine' worked and this was a different perspective.

It gave the narrative around the women who worked for Bomber Command in various different roles - and also the perspective of the pilots and how they lived with and reacted to the fact that each mission may well be their last.
It also showed how badly women were treated in other types of work and men given jobs they were perfectly capable of - but thankfully over time Pearl's skills were recognised and she got the recognition she deserved.
The addition of the 'newspaper' was a great part of the book
Throw in a bit of romance, sisterly dynamics and some more despicable acts and you get a well researched and well written book.
I loved the way that one of the characters admitted that she hadn't had the best education but loved to read and read widely. As a result she often pronounced words as she saw them written - it must have given Vicki Beeby much fun working out these words and not only how to use them but how to phonetically spell them out to make her point.

All in all a thoroughly good read - which actually brought me to tears at one point in Pearl's romance - a sign of a good book that I can imagine how the conversation actually went and tears are the result.

Looking forward to the next one

This story had a little bit of everything, and I think it would have appeal for a variety of readers. WWII is a painful and interesting time in history, and though I've read a lot about it, I'd never read a book specifically about those in charge of Bomber Command, just the bomber pilots themselves. It was interesting to read from both Pearl and Greg's perspective (though admittedly, it felt a bit jarring at first to have Greg's perspective suddenly come in part-way through the book).

My favorite aspects of the story were the friendship between Pearl and Jenny, and Pearl and Greg's determination to do their bit and do right by others. Generally, the pacing of the story was very good; Beeby knew which events to skip to get to the most important conversations and compelling action. The "mystery" aspects of the story came later than I anticipated and were only a very small part of the story and rather predictable to me, but still enjoyable. While Greg and Pearl had some arguments that were rather frustrating in that they would have been so simple to resolve, both of their actions ultimately felt at least understandable, and I was rooting for them nonetheless.

This book definitely feels like the first in a series, so I hope to read more about Greg, Pearl, Thea, and Jenny.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo Publishers for the free advanced digital copy; I was not required to provide a positive review in exchange.

Mixed opinions on this title; some bits I really enjoyed, other bits not so much.

The setting regarding life on a bomber base in Lincolnshire during WW2 was of great interest to me. I felt more could have been told about the work that was undertaken on the base by both the men and women living there. It would have also been good to have had more background on the main characters as I felt like we didn't really know much about Greg and Jenny. Why Thea was transferred from another base was not fully disclosed either.
Perhaps if this is the start of a series we will get to know them more in a future title.

All in all it was an easy read with twists and turns to keep the reader interested.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for letting me read an advance copy of the title.

The story centres around Pearl Cooper who dreams of becoming a journalist, but after being passed over for promotion to a journalist position for a man she applies to join the WAAF and ends up working in bomber command for RAF Fenthorpe.

We see how Pearl learns to adapt to her new life and the changes to her environment, making new friends and being thoroughly out of her comfort zone when she's used to being very much in control. We also get to meet Thea her younger sister, who signed up before Pearl to get away from her smothering ways as their parents died when they were small and they ended up living with their grandmother.

I struggled a bit with this one, nothing much really happens until over halfway when all of a sudden there are plot twists and action which then feels rushed to conclusion to have the ends tied up by the end of the book. I also found Pearl incredibly annoying and while she did evolve a little over the story I did not really feel engaged by her storyline - I would like to have seen and heard more from Jenny and Thea! I understand this is the first book of a series though, so I guess they will get the opportunity to share their stories.

I was glad to get to the end of this and be able to focus on reading something else - I do think a lot of people will enjoy this story, it just really wasn't for me.

I am an obsessed fan of historical fiction. I know that the stories are considered fiction but all are based a little bit on history. There is just enough truth to guide to find out what it was like for my family during World War 2. There is just enough reality to help me understand what was going on with the people.

The Girls of Bomber Command took me on a journey that I did not know existed. I didn't realize how many women were involved in the inner workings of an air station. I can't imagine what would have happened if there weren't so many amazing women working to keep the pilots flying.

I had never thought about how situations affected them. I had heard about the dances. I had heard about the hook-ups. And yet I never stopped to think how the men and women dealt with losses. There were so many losses. Yet, the British people seemed to be able to Keep Calm an Carry On. I finally understand my mum's attitude of keeping a stiff upper lip. The strengths of the characters in this story have left me in awe of what is to come in the next book

Another brilliant WW2 saga from the queen herself. Loved this book and hoping for more from the Bomber girls.
Pearl has always mothered her little sister Thea until she becomes the responsibility of the WAAF. Pearl then in an unexpected turn of circumstances finds herself in the WAAF as well.
She makes friends with Jenny and then finds her idea of a newspaper within the camp a reality.
Fantastic read

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc

Another brilliant book by the author love family saga you will love this

There’s a couple of my favourite wartime authors that I always diligently read as soon as they have a new book out and Vicki Beeby is one of them! I’ve loved all of her books and when I saw the title of this one, I couldn’t wait! A glimpse into bomber command with a whole new cast of characters to get to know?! Yes please. I still have such a fond place for her wrens series so this one has come as a very welcome addition!

Vicki always manages to capture the spirit of the times. She writes the most perfect wartime stories that have you invested in all the characters and truly in with all the developments. There’s friendship, strength, camaraderie and the ‘keep calm and carry on’ attitude that perfectly encapsulates the feel of this era.

Here we meet Pearl, Jenny and Thea. All three stationed at an RAF camp in Lincolnshire (and as someone who used to live there and has such fond memories of the place) it was a lovely reminder of my old home. I still get out of breath just thinking about walking up steep hill! I was glad the girls who also valiantly walked up that hill joined me in my pain!

Pearl was a delight to follow, as she navigates herself around working at Bomber Command. She also harbours her dreams to work as a journalist, and setting up a newspaper for the base was so lovely as we saw it grow from idea to success. Thea, her unruly sister, also works in the WAAF and working with your over protective older sister can be somewhat of a buzzkill when trying to be your own person. And finally Jenny, who I just love! She comes from humble beginnings but has a big heart and she’s just the sort of person you’d love to be friends with.

I can say I’m fully entrenched into this series now and can’t wait for follow ups. I also love and admire the amount of research that the author puts into these books prior to writing and it really shows!

I loved the book. It was heartwarming and I read it until 2am in one shot. We have so much to be thankful for. I highly recommend.